A Horse is a Horse?
by Aria6
Summary: Axel/Roxas fic... I think I got it right this time! Roxas is a spy and assassin who is captured on a mission gone wrong... and turned into a horse? An interesting adventure, please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I'm really sorry I have so many unfinished fics guys. I'm having trouble getting inspired… my KH obsession might be winding down. Or maybe not? Either way, I hope you enjoy this!

The day had started out shitty and was going downhill rapidly.

Roxas licked his lips and narrowed his eyes, considering the thin patch of skin visible between the jailor's cuirass and his helmet. His arms were chained behind him, and his feet were shackled together, restricting him to a shuffle. He still thought he could strangle the man with his thighs if he tried. Of course, the two other jailors behind him would be a problem. He could take one of them out with a jump kick to the throat but then the other two would have him. There was no good option.

There hadn't been any good options for a while. He'd been hired to rescue a noble child from a rival family. The seething blood feuds in the Steel Vale were good for business, and the riches from all the iron mines had left the noble families with coin to spare. Roxas was as an assassin and sometimes spy, preying on their paranoia and hostility. He specialized in all kinds of deception, including seduction and long, careful poisons. Rescuing someone wasn't his usual line of work, but he'd done a few kidnappings, and what was a rescue if not a kidnapping in reverse?

Unfortunately, things had gone wrong. Each mistake or misfortune had been small, but the cumulative effect had been devastating. Roxas had been partnered with a rather good mercenary wizard, and the man had managed to spirit out the child. Roxas had deliberately chosen to save the boy and not himself. Not because he had that much feeling for children, but more a matter of professional pride. It was galling to come this far and fail on the last leg. So instead of taking an emergency teleport, he'd let the other two go and trusted to his wits to see him through.

For a while it had seemed like he might get away too. When the teleport had punched through the wards, the enemy had been thrown into confusion, but it hadn't lasted as long as he'd hoped.. So he'd been captured. The blonde morbidly wondered what the good Baron had in mind for him. Torture with hot irons? Being slathered in honey and covered in ants? Buried head down in a pile of dung? None of that would have surprised him. Baron Muldovy was notorious for his vindictiveness, even among the viciousness of the Vale. Fortunately he wouldn't have to endure it for long. Roxas idly prodded a tooth with his tongue, ready to make the pattern that would activate a suicide spell. They wouldn't even be able to raise him from the dead after his head exploded. Still, that was a last resort. Roxas' eyes narrowed as he was taken outside, into the courtyard behind the mansion. Was it going to be the ants after all? If so he was going to be using his spell quickly. He'd seen a man eaten by ants once. It wasn't a fast or clean way to go.

"So, this is the little saboteur. A hireling, Markus tells me." That was the Baron, a dark, tall man in very rich clothing. He looked down his beaky nose at the blonde with an air of bored disdain, but Roxas could easily detect the anger underneath. He nodded shortly, barely glancing at the Baron's chief wizard. The man had already questioned him thoroughly. The magic had been somewhat painful, but it had verified that he was only a hired assassin, not a loyal retainer that could be squeezed for information. "I think we're going to try something new for you. Untie him."

"M'lord?" One of the jailors said uncertainly. The Baron gestured peremptorily and the wizard began to chant. Roxas groaned as his muscles locked up, one by one. It felt like the worst cramps in the world, but he could still move his tongue.

"Untie him." He repeated and the jailors hastened to obey. Roxas seethed in silent frustration as he found himself unable to move, unable to seize the wonderful chance for escape. Then the wizards' tone changed and anguish unlike anything he'd felt before flooded him. It felt like his very bones were on fire and he felt his body elongating, shifting into something alien and _wrong._ He tried frantically to use the suicide spell but realized with horror that he'd left it too late. Even the shape of his mouth and teeth were changing and the pattern was no longer there for him to…

Finally, the pain was too much, and darkness pulled him under.

* * *

><p>The first thing Roxas was conscious of was sun on his face. He instinctively scrambled to his feet and wobbled for a moment, eyes still closed. Something was not right. Something was very, very wrong.<p>

When he opened his eyes he realized that thought had been a massive understatement. His vision was beyond strange. Sharper yet oddly flat, some colors seemed more intense while others were oddly flat. Roxas blinked and shook his head. There was a strange blind spot right in front of his face, but his field of vision was much wider. It was disorienting and he had to lock his legs to hold himself upright. He tried to speak but only a strange whistle came out.

"He's confused I think." The wizard. Roxas raised his head as he suddenly realized this was a perfect chance to escape. His muscles weren't frozen anymore and he could punch…

Panic abruptly ran through him as he realized he couldn't punch anyone. He didn't have arms. He was standing on FOUR legs, not the two he'd assumed. Instinct had gotten him to his feet and instinct was saving him now, but it couldn't stop the terror as he looked over his own body and saw pale fur on a long, familiar shape.

_Polymorphed. I've been polymorphed. _That thought brought a certain level of calm. He slowly stopped shaking and began to assess the situation. What was he? Roxas thought he was a horse, although a mule or a wild ass of some sort might be possible as well.

"Beautiful conformation. But then, he was a nice looking boy." The Baron observed and Roxas considered trampling him. Then he rethought it was he spotted an armsman with a crossbow, pointed down but ready and cocked. "Get him put in the field with the bachelor herd." The Baron ordered and Roxas hesitated, still debating trying to escape. Particularly when a nervous groom came up to him holding a bridle. Roxas tossed his head to avoid it, then spotted the armsman hefting his crossbow ominously. It would probably be much less fuss for them to shoot him…

The blonde reluctantly submitted to being bridled, annoyed by the feeling of the leather and the bit in his mouth. To his surprise, the groomsman threaded a chain through the bridle and over his nose. The heavy links added more irritation but the man seemed more relaxed when he was holding the end of the chain.

"That's what's called a stud chain. If you resist, you'll find out why." The Baron chuckled cruelly and Roxas flicked his ears in annoyance as the wizard laughed. They'd see who was laughing if he took that bit between his teeth and –

_Ow!_ The pain was unexpected and Roxas flinched as the groomsman gave the chain a pop. It tightened around his nose and he suddenly realized the purpose of it. Any misbehaviour could be given a very direct and painful consequence with a simple flick of the man's wrist. Roxas hated it, but followed obediently as the man led him to the pasture. The Baron and the wizard, bored with the show, both went back into the mansion. But the armsman with the crossbow followed and Roxas put aside any thoughts for escape. It would probably be easier to jump a fence when no one was looking anyway. When he was released into the field, Roxas blew a sigh of relief.

This might be sucky but it had to be better than the fire ants.

* * *

><p>The next few weeks gave Roxas plenty of time to brood and think.<p>

His first regret was that he'd never really paid attention to horses before. As a city dweller, owning one had always been prohibitively expensive. Also unnecessary since there were plenty of hacks around. Depending on the city there were sometimes magical trams, with very limited but useful routes, or gondolas to get around in the wetter places. If he needed to leave the city, Roxas often hired a carriage. If he had to go someplace really out of the way he'd buy a horse and hire someone to tend to it for him. That was expensive too, but that came under business expenses and he'd always gotten his employers to pay it.

So he really had no idea how horses interacted with each other. He received a few painful nips and kicks finding that out. But his mind was still human and after watching for a while he began to get a feel for how the horses did things. It wasn't easy and he was clearly at the bottom of the pecking order, but once he understood the warning signs he got fewer bites.

Roxas considered the fences as he chewed his hay. He wasn't sure he could get over them. He was actually pretty short for a horse, not surprising since he'd been short for a man. And they were fairly tall fences, meant to hold in a bunch of geldings and studs. There were a few weak points though, places where he thought he could kick a piece of wood out if he applied himself. It was something to keep in mind if the situation became desperate.

It wasn't desperate yet. Being a horse wasn't the worst fate in the world, particularly since it was temporary. The polymorph was a very good one, so he was in no danger of losing his mind. Roxas knew from a few idle conversations that shape changing was a bit tricky. Not enough instincts from the animal and you ended up with a very confused human mind trying to figure out how to walk with four legs. That could be disastrous with something like flying. Too many instincts, and the human mind could be subsumed by the animal. Even if you polymorphed the person back, it would take years for the mind to recover… if it ever did. Roxas wasn't worried about that happening to him though. That wizard had clearly been a good one, so he had time.

And staying here might actually be safe in the long run. Roxas had been thinking about it for a while and was pretty sure he knew what the Baron was thinking. While taking revenge was fun, a hireling was a substandard target to someone like that. To the Baron's way of thinking, Roxas was a knife that had been placed in the drawer for a while. He could be pulled out at any time, told he would give the Baron a freebie and sent on his way. With a geas to ensure he did what he was told. Not exactly the ideal outcome since it would be something very dangerous, too dangerous for his usual servants, but that wasn't really unusual. Roxas specialized in that kind of work.

So for now, he patiently cropped grass and waited for something to happen. As he waited, Roxas did his best to stay in shape. It wasn't easy but it wouldn't do him any good if he was transformed back to a human body that was completely out of tone and covered in extra weight. The other horses didn't find his antics odd, and the young ones even played with him. Roxas found his status in the herd moving up a bit.

None of the humans would have anything to do with him though. Roxas watched almost wistfully as other geldings and stallions were taken out, to ride or for breeding. Not that he wanted a bridle or chain on his face, and god only knew what a saddle would feel like, but it would be something to do. He was bored. So very, very bored… was it possible to go mad with boredom? Roxas wasn't sure. He knew it was possible to go mad without human contact for long periods. Solitary confinement was a form of torture. But this wasn't the same, since the horses were company. Roxas didn't think he was in danger of losing his mind. Getting entirely too fond of horses, perhaps.

Roxas' thoughts had wandered to considering the various types of grasses and grains, with their subtle flavors that had been lost on him as a human, when everything changed. He lifted his head in surprise at the sound of an explosion, followed by another. Several of the horses were also alarmed, milling around at the strange sounds. Several were completely unaffected, ignoring it in favour of hay. Those were the older ones and Roxas thought they had likely been around explosions before, magical or the more dangerous gunpowder. But what was going on? There was smoke coming from the direction of the manor house. Was something on fire?

Something was definitely on fire. Probably more than one something. Roxas flicked his ears and paced by the edge of the pasture as he watched the smoke billow into the air. The fire was getting bigger. Was the mansion on fire? It seemed likely and it wasn't going out. But he couldn't see what was happening! He was too far away to even hear shouts. No one came to feed or water them in the evening, which was fine since there was still a small pool and plenty of hay, but didn't tell him anything either. Roxas was impatient to the point of screaming when a human finally appeared, late the next day.

Several humans in fact. Roxas eyed them with disfavour. He'd been in the company of mercenaries often enough – technically he was one – to know the various types. These were the more unsavoury sort, the kind of hired swords who often got swept up in large recruiting campaigns. All on the older side, their gear had a faint patina of rust under the recent bloodstains. They all showed signs of past abuse in scars, badly healed noses and crooked, dirty teeth. No dental shields had affixed to those teeth.

"Looky here! A lot of horses. Think the lord missed this pasture, eh?" One of them said with a snaggle-toothed grin. A few of the other horses trotted over, hoping for food and attention. One of the mercenaries gently scratched a bay gelding over the fence.

"Looks like. Think we could take some as our share of the loot?" Roxas let his attention wander as he pondered the new situation. Clearly the Baron had suffered a reversal in fortunes. It didn't exactly surprise him. There was a value in being ruthless, but being utterly ruthless was never a good thing. Someone who was utterly ruthless would often create enemies who had nothing to lose. Several of his had probably ganged up on the Baron and settled for a frontal attack. That was the only explanation for men like this being here. "Nice palomino. Is he a stallion?" One of the mercenaries was eyeing him and Roxas snorted, pawing the ground in irritation. "Yep, he is. Wonder why the Baron didn't geld him?" If he'd still been human, Roxas would have rolled his eyes. The Baron would probably have done the fire ants before he would have – "We'll have to have those off first thing."

Roxas stood still for a moment in pure shock, then flinched away as he realized the man was serious. He suddenly wondered where all the servants and armsmen had gone. Had they all fled? Hadn't any been captured, or had they all been massacred? Roxas glumly reflected on the likelihood of that. Steel Vale was a barbaric sort of place, and it wouldn't be surprising if no quarter had been given.

"Ha! It was like he understood what you said." The men laughed at the joke and Roxas wanted to trample them. He cantered away, staying just within earshot. He needed to know what was going on. That was a wasted effort, though, since the men spent the time talking about what horses they would pick and how much money they would make. Bored and frustrated, Roxas finally trotted away to find the weak section of the fenceline. He eyed it critically. The board on the top was loose, but it was really going to take a lot of work.

He waited until the men wandered off, then began his work. It was much harder than he'd anticipated. He had to turn around and kick blindly, which didn't help. He also had to kick very high to reach the top board. Finally he landed a good hit and felt the fence shift under his feet. Bouncing forward, Roxas turned around and considered the fence. It was definitely damaged. Maybe if he reared up and put his feet on it?

That did the trick and the top part of the fence broke off with a groan. Roxas looked at the jagged edges and began to smash them down with his hooves. He reflected on the fact that very few normal horses could do this. Maybe none of the, although he wasn't sure of that. There might be an equine genius in a field somewhere, but certainly not here.

With the height of the fence reduced, Roxas was fairly sure he could make the jump. He took a short break to rest, eat a bit of grass and drink. He wasn't sure where he would find his next meal, although it was summer. There would be fresh grass outside the grazed down pastures. What would he do in autumn though?

_First things first. Your balls are in danger. _Roxas reminded himself. He was absolutely certain any damage did to this horse body would translate back to his normal one. Severe damage might even break the spell, but that would be cold comfort if it meant losing his twins. He was not willing to part with those. Taking a deep breath, he backed up and then charged the fence.

If anyone had been there to see, they would have agreed that it was a titanic jump. Roxas had largely succeeded in staying in shape and the palomino was highly motivated. Hooves sailed over the fence and he landed easily on the other side, snorting as he glanced back. None of the rest of the herd showed any inclination to follow him. Roxas had to fight off an urge to stay with them as he turned away and trotted off into the wilderness.

He wasn't sure what was out there but it had to be better than here.


	2. The Wild is Dangerous

Roxas glanced around warily before lowering his head wearily, cropping half-heartedly at the browning grass.

Being in the wilderness, he was finding, had very serious drawbacks. The Baron's pasture had been nice, with shady trees and a little pool as well as plenty of puddles for mud rolling. Good hay to supplement the grass and a bit of grain as well. Now he had only grass and the summer heat was oppressive. Finding water was a problem although fortunately, he could smell it from fairly far away. Unfortunately he was jittery as hell. Every instinct he had was telling him he was in danger. Sleeping was a struggle and Roxas had mostly given up. He'd figured out that it was because horses were herd animals and he had no herdmates. As much as his human mind wanted to, it couldn't overcome his instincts. That proved to be his saving grace, though, when the puma nearly got him.

Roxas' human mind had been wandering when he walked under the tree. His horse mind had suddenly panicked and lunged forward when a strange, pungent odor reached him. Roxas had been jolted back to the present just in time to feel a brush of wind and hear a snarl as the cat pounced just a moment too late. His human mind quickly assessed his chances and agreed with the horse that flight was the best option… the only option really, since his panicked bolt had already started. The cat chased him and Roxas pushed himself mercilessly, sensing the cat far too close behind him. But finally he pulled away and after a few more crushing minutes, came to a stop.

_That was too close. Too close. _Spent adrenaline left a sour taste in his mouth and Roxas found that he was trembling. He'd hardly ever been this frightened, but he'd never been this helpless before. His only defense as a horse was to run away. And what kind of defense was that? _I need to find other horses._ A herd meant safety, safety in numbers. But a wild herd or a domestic one?

Roxas faced the question reluctantly. Both options had drawbacks. If he tried to find wild horses, he'd be safer for the short term. He was young and strong, predators would target older or sicker horses before him. There would be no risk of being gelded. On the other hand, polymorph spells didn't last forever. When it finally wore off he'd be left in the middle of the wilderness, butt naked and surrounded by a bunch of wild horses. Roxas was a resourceful assassin but he wasn't a hunter and even if he was, hunters didn't go around completely naked. He wasn't sure how long the spell would last either. Magic was not, well, magic. You got what you put in and to make a spell permanent usually required some sort of a matrix to hold a self-sustaining resource pool. The matrix was usually an item, like a ring, amulet or sword. If the wizard had dropped an amulet on him the spell might be the type that lasted decades, but he hadn't, so Roxas gave it a year at the most. A few months at the earliest, and most likely it would wear off somewhere in between. So maybe six months which would put him in the middle of winter. Resourceful or not, Roxas gave himself a very poor chance of survival if that happened while he was in a wild herd.

That left a domestic herd. The obvious drawback was that the humans around might want to take his balls off. He was a pretty color and had good conformation, but he was short for a stallion. Maybe someone would be breeding ponies…? Of course, that opened up a completely different problem. If anyone let him keep his balls it would be to use them. Roxas shuddered a bit at the thought of breeding with a mare. He didn't even like women, but would he have any choice if he was presented with a mare in heat? Would the instincts take over? Or even worse, what if they didn't? No one would want to keep him a stallion if he refused to breed. And would there be foals? The thought was fascinating and disgusting. Roxas didn't know enough about polymorphs to be sure either way. And would they want to ride him?

Roxas sighed to himself and finally made a decision. He had to find a domestic herd. It was the only way he could be safe in this defenseless body. Lifting his head, he concentrated on seeking out water. He was very thirsty now.

Finding a herd could wait a bit.

* * *

><p>Roxas pricked his ears at a faint sound. Had that been a whinny?<p>

Finding a domestic herd hadn't been easy. Roxas' knowledge of geography was good, but without the aid of a loadstone or a map he was a bit out to sea. He'd finally just used the sun and concentrated on going north, out of the Steel Vale. The Vale didn't have many big horse breeders but their northern neighbors, the unaligned Free Lands, specialized in horse breeding and herding. There wasn't much else to do there. Roxas was a bit hazy on how it worked, but the big hills of the Steel Vale grew into a mountain range on the eastern edge of the Free Lands. Those mountains blocked the winds that carried moisture, resulting in a cold desert in the worst spots and scrub brush in the rest. It was vast though, and plenty of small rivers ran down from the mountain, fed by glacial runoff. With the huge ranges they could still manage large numbers of cattle and horses.

For the past week, he'd been on those open ranges. They were beautiful, full of flowing prairie grasses and prickly, vicious cactuses. Roxas knew those cacti though and had devised a clever way of breaking them open with the tips of his hooves. The liquid inside wasn't much but he'd managed to free himself from the desperate need to find water. The sunsets and sunrises were glorious, full of burnished reds and vibrant pinks. The beauty of the land tempted him to stay but he the calls of coyotes and the deeper howls of wolves reminded him that he needed a herd. So he kept moving.

Now he thought he'd heard something. It might have been a horse but he wasn't sure. Roxas pricked his ears and speeded his pace. The promise of safety beckoned him on and when he spotted telltale smoke his trot turned into a canter. Roxas felt a great relief as he crested a ridge and saw hundreds of horses.

Well, not that many. Roxas paused for a moment, trying to take an accurate count before he joined them. He finally decided there was somewhere between fifty and a hundred horses in this herd, being driven by a handful of men and dogs. Although they dogs weren't actually going near the horses. They were fanned out around the herd and Roxas thought they were meant to protect from a daring wolf or coyote attack. There were some weanlings in the herd that might be tempting for a wolf to snatch.

He joined the herd easily. The dogs ignored him except to get out of the way and the horses ignored him as well. The men herding the horses were on the lookout for strays, not newcomers and didn't register him either. Roxas knew that wouldn't last but he'd take it for now. He was feeling a bit tense now. Someone would notice he was a stallion sooner or later. Roxas tried to see if any of the other horses in the herd were stallions and only managed to spot one, a very tall, jet black creature with a flowing mane and feathers. He looked like a fairy tale horse and Roxas idly wondered how much he'd cost. He'd never have bought a horse like that. Too flashy and expensive, but many nobles would certainly like one.

The sun was directly overhead and Roxas was feeling thirsty when the herd ground to a halt. Roxas was puzzled at first then perked his ears as he saw the men hard at work at a pile of rocks. Was that a concealed well? The water poured into a natural stone basin quickly confirmed his suspicions. The horses crowded around but the slow refilling of the water ensured none of them drank too quickly. Roxas quickly joined the group around the water source and snapped at a gelding that tried to crowd him. He knew a bit more about how horses worked now and was determined not to be relegated to the bottom of the status pole this time. Roxas took a deep drink of the cold, clean water and lifted his head to find one of the men staring at him. Almost a boy, he had short cropped brown hair and plenty of dirt on his face.

"Hey Rosco! Where'd we get the pally?" Roxas was briefly confused before he realized the boy was referring to his color. An older man who bore a family resemblance walked over and Roxas tensed. He'd find out soon if he had to make a quick escape.

"Dunno. That's strange." The man pushed back his hat and scratched a scalp that was beginning to go bald. "I thought we only had that big draft mare pally. That's a gelding."

"No dad, I think that's a stallion." The boy corrected and the man grunted, trying to get a better look through the crush of horses. Roxas sighed to himself and cocked his hip, deliberately confirming the information. "Should we geld him dad?"

"On the march? Not a chance!" The man spat to the side and Roxas felt a great relief. "He might bleed too much. Let's get him to the Busy Solitude ranch first." Roxas blinked slowly at that. Busy Solitude? What kind of a name was that? "If they want to geld him they can do it. Even if they don't pay much, he's free anyway." That gave Roxas another worry. But at least his balls were safe for the moment.

The next week involved a lot of walking. The men set a slow but steady pace that the herd could match easily, even with weanlings and older mares. They stopped to drink anytime there was water, which was at least once a day, often more. There were plenty of streams but Roxas was certain that the waters were seasonal. They made him think of desert arroyos, streams that would be dry as a bone come summer.

Roxas could tell they were reaching their destination by the way the men picked up the pace. He could also smell fresh water, a lot of water, and the other horses were more than willing to go faster for the promised moisture. They went over a hill and Roxas whined softly as he saw a large ranch spread out on a hill, overlooking a swiftly moving river. Roxas had seen far more impressive rivers in his time but for this dry land the river was strong. It didn't look seasonal in the least and right now it was raised with what Roxas thought was floodwater. Bushes and trees were submerged and he could see why the houses had been placed on the hill. Flooding was probably an issue as it was.

Roxas lost track of what was happening as they were herded towards a strange copper pipe. It was leaking water and when a man spun a wheel, water gushed out, filling another carved stone depression similar to the first rest stop. Once he'd drunk his fill, Roxas tried to watch and understand what he was seeing.

Some of it was very clear. The flashy stallion was the first thing inspected by the barn owner and a young man with bright red hair. Roxas was astonished by the brilliant color and casually sidled closer, trying to catch the conversation.

"-looks good boss." The redhead was saying as he ran his hands over the stallion's legs and picked up his feet. The horse was behaving very well for him, to Roxas mild surprise. "Healthy and sane. I'd like to see him move but I think we have our new herd stallion."

"Well, get up there and move him then." Roxas eyed the ranch owner thoughtfully. He was a tall, burly man with short brown hair. He sounded impatient. The redhead looked up from his work and grinned.

"Why don't you move him Terra?" That was clearly just a bit of banter though, nothing serious as the man immediately started saddling and bridling the black. He swung up easily onto the stallion and Roxas admired the way his mane flowed in the wind as the man rode him. He really did look like a fairy tale horse… "What do you think boss?"

"Good movement." Was Terra's opinion. "Really good muscle on him. He'll be good for our war horse mares." Roxas thought that was true. He didn't know much about horses but he'd seen middle and heavy cavalry before and that stallion was a horse any knight would kill to have.

"We have a second stallion." The seller started as the redhead slid off the horses' back. That immediately got the attention of both men. "He just showed up."

"Just showed up? He decided to walk in and join the mare party?" The redhead seemed to find that funny and Roxas put back his ears in irritation. "Smart boy. Where is this wonder?" Terra seemed more annoyed than anything and Roxas had to suppress a surge of unease as the seller pointed him out. The redhead cautiously approached him and Roxas got his first good look at the man. He was tall, very tall, slender but muscular. His eyes were bright green and his skin was surprisingly pale for someone who had to work in the sun all day. Roxas blinked as he noticed the tattoos on his cheeks. They were like little teardrops and added an exotic edge to an already attractive package. "What kind of training does he have?" The redhead asked and Roxas flared his nostrils as he held out a hand. He was holding something, something that smelled good.

"Dunno. He wouldn't let us catch him." The seller admitted and Terra winced slightly before calling out.

"Be careful Axel." He warned and Roxas filed that name away. The redhead – Axel – nodded without looking away. Roxas stepped closer and nuzzled his hand, scooping up what turned out to be a peppermint. He'd never liked mint as a human but as a horse it was bliss. He crunched the hard candy thoughtfully, then leaned into Axel's scratches. The redhead knew just what spots itched the most.

"He seems very tame." Axel observed and Roxas wanted to laugh. There were many people who would disagree. "Let's see if he'll give me a hoof." With that direction it was easy. "Good horse."

_Oh, you can touch me anytime. _Roxas thought, half-lustfully, as Axel examined him thoroughly. Fortunately his horse body was completely uninterested or things could have gotten embarrassing in a hurry. Then he pricked his ears as he felt a slight touch of magic. _What is that?_ He'd always had a good sense for magic in use. It had been valuable as an assassin and if he'd been born in a slightly higher class, might have gotten Roxas an apprenticeship. It only took him a moment to realize it was coming from the redhead. For a moment he felt a wild hope but it faded as soon as it came. The feeling was too weak to be anything more than a talent. Some people had wild talents, he'd been told, ways they could focus their internal energy. It usually meant they'd make excellent wizards but most of them never got any training. Without that, it was only a knack. Did Axel have a knack for horses? It seemed likely.

"He's in good health." Axel said as he stepped back, glancing at Terra with a slightly confused expression. "But there's something odd about him. He feels… very bright." Roxas sighed at the understatement and Terra shrugged.

"I could have told you that, with that head of his. Never seen a forehead that broad. It almost looks deformed." Was his opinion and Roxas laid back his ears again. Deformed? "Plenty of room for brains in there. Do you think he'll be rideable?" Terra sounded dubious and Roxas felt confused. Why was being smart a problem? Axel laughed.

"Never ride a horse smarter than you are? I'm willing to make the attempt." They both seemed to have forgotten the seller and the redhead smiled as he gave Roxas another good scratch. "He seems to have a good nature. And I think we should keep him a stallion for now. He could do as a sire for nomad horses, or maybe a pony sire."

"We already have a good one. But maybe." Terra grumbled and Roxas felt a moment of joy. He wouldn't have to run away again! For now at least. "We'll breed him to a few, see what the foals are like. How much do you want for him?" They fell back to haggling with the seller, who suddenly wanted a decent price for Roxas. Roxas submitted to being haltered and led out to another pasture. There was still a stud chain but the person leading him was a small girl, so Roxas thought it was only a sensible precaution. As he was let into the pasture Roxas felt a surge of relief. If they were going to breed him to a couple of mares, he'd have plenty of time for the spell to wear off. His nuts were safe.

That was all that was important at the moment.


	3. The Busy Solitude Ranch

Author's note: Whoops, forgot something important. Putting this up a second time!

"They're just cows, horse. Nothing to be afraid of." Axel's voice held laughter and Roxas wanted to gut him.

_Shut up! I'm an assassin! I've seen more blood and gore than you could imagine! _Roxas stepped in a puddle that was not water and flinched as the filth splattered his leg. _Although I admit you have me beat on shit! _Roxas chewed his bit as he tried to figure out a way to navigate the yard without getting splattered with cow dung. There had been a brief shower earlier and combined with the heat, the cow patties had turned into a disgusting soup just waiting for him to splash into. The only answer seemed to be not to go in at all and he took a step backwards.

"Come on Blondie. Really, they're just cows." Axel was starting to sound a little irritated and Roxas felt him shift slightly, felt the spurs touch him. Axel's spurs were blunt and never hurt but they were always a clear message.

_I'm not afraid of cows, I'm afraid of swimming in shit! Oh gods. _Roxas took a deep breath and tried to hold it as he went into the arena. His knowledge of cows was as steaks, and he wished he could have kept it that way as Axel began trying to teach him about handling cattle.

"What in hell is wrong with you?" Roxas turned his head to look at Axel. The redhead was glaring at him. "You keep prancing. Gemma!" Axel shouted to the short, petite girl who was smoking a pipe. "Could you come over here a minute?"

"Sure." She called back agreeably and was soon standing by the fence. "What you need?"

"Watch this and see what his problem is." Axel instructed her and Roxas laid his ears back in irritation. But then they were moving again and Roxas kept a close watch on the ground to avoid the worst part of the mess. Gemma's laugh caused Axel to rein him in and look at her questioningly.

"The prissy bastard is trying not to get dirty!" Roxas flicked his tail at her and Axel groaned, then laughed. The redhead slid off his back and Roxas winced to himself at the way his boots squelched in the mud.

"Horse, you need to stop this." Axel said firmly as he gripped the bridle. Roxas gazed at him soulfully, trying to convey how much he didn't want to do this. "I'll give you a bath when we're done, alright?"

_You promise?_ Roxas sighed and blew into Axel's hair. _Oh fine. _He lowered his head submissively and Axel remounted him. Roxas wistfully thought about how he wished the redhead could be riding him a different way as he went back towards the cows.

He'd been training with the redhead for only two weeks. That was a ridiculously short time to train a green horse, but Axel and Terra had both decided he wasn't green when Roxas had sailed through the start of his training. They didn't know that he was listening and Axel had a habit of talking to himself as they rode. A comment about how he needed to go left or right, get on this lead or that, made things a hundred times easier for him. And it helped that he'd experienced the cues before, just from the other direction. Wearing a saddle was a bit of a trial but not as bad as he'd feared. Now that the stud chain was gone and he was in a simple bridle, Roxas was finding the whole experience almost pleasant.

Axel was the only one who rode him and Roxas had gradually figured out why. No one spoke to him of course, but they spoke around him and he often overheard interesting things. His pasture was a special one, with the stallions and geldings who were being trained at the moment, so it was fairly close to the house and barn. He'd heard that Axel, despite being tall, was very light and enjoyed riding smaller horses. There were several other people who rode the smaller horses and ponies, but they were mostly women and teenagers. Not the sort of riders Terra wanted to put on a pedigree unknown, history unknown stallion. Roxas wondered if that would change soon. He was doing a pretty good job at moving the cows-

Just as he thought that, a large puppy burst into the pasture and took him completely by surprise. The horse mind reacted in alarm and his body tried to levitate. Axel was caught by surprise too and Roxas yelped to himself as he felt the redhead's weight shift alarmingly. The puppy tried to bite his heels and Roxas had to fight not to kick it then stomp it to death. What was it even doing here?

"Gemma! Get that damn dog out of here!" Axel called breathlessly and Roxas felt terrible as he realized the saddle pommel had caught him in the stomach. The redhead was going to be badly bruised, although he'd managed to keep his seat. "Stop moving horse, please." Axel had no expectation of being obeyed but Roxas tried to get a grip on his horsey instincts and locked his legs. "Good boy. Now get out of here dog!" The puppy was less understanding and Roxas laid back his ears as the thing barked. He was going to kick it. He was really going to kick it if Gemma didn't get it VERY soon…

"I have him!" Gemma had gotten hold of the puppy and was dragging it out of the arena. "Stupid dog, you could have been killed." Roxas gratefully relaxed. The cows, he noticed, were staring at them with mild bovine interest.

_I really want a steak._ Roxas sighed as Axel dismounted again, leading him away on foot. He noticed the redhead was standing a bit hunched over. He probably wouldn't be getting any other riders after all.

"Come on blondie, I'll give you that bath." Roxas blew in his hair fondly as the redhead led him to the water pipe. "That damn dog. If Marilee can't train him better he'll have to be put down." Roxas winced a bit to himself at that. The puppy was huge, already coming into his full growth, but was particularly dense. So far they hadn't been able to pound through his head that he couldn't bother the horses. If they couldn't get him to understand that he'd be a menace to any rider and that couldn't be tolerated. Axel began sponging him off with a harsh herbal soap. Roxas sighed and half-closed his eyes as the redhead started with his legs. The water was warm, but it still felt wonderful on a hot day. "You're a good horse." Roxas flicked his ears as Axel spoke to him or, more realistically, spoke to himself. "A bit hot and reactive, and sensitive about your face, but still a very good horse." Roxas felt almost embarrassed at that. He did hate it when anyone tugged on his face, which made the stud chain irritating, but he was aware he'd been guilty of it as a rider. He was going to have to work on that when the spell faded. "For an experienced rider. I'm going to ask Terra if you can be my horse." Roxas pricked his ears at that.

_And will I be yours after six months?_ Roxas felt almost wistful as he looked at that bent head, the red spikes catching the sun. The color was so dazzling. _Do you even like men? _He didn't know and there was no way to ask. Although there was a blond boy Axel seemed to hang out with a lot, a young man named Demyx. He was constantly playing an instrument or singing. Were they together? He wasn't sure if he hoped they were or not. If they were, he'd at least know Axel's preferences. _Bah._ Why was he even considering this? He was an assassin. The Free Lands were a peaceful place, not a place for him.

"Hey Axel. How's your prissy horse doing?" Terra. Roxas lifted his head to look at the man. He was wearing a grubby set of leathers and had clearly been doing some hard riding. Axel looked up with a laugh, his green eyes sparkling.

"You heard about that already? He's doing much better. At least he's not afraid of the cows." Axel began rinsing off the soap as Roxas closed his eyes in pleasure. "How are the cattle doing?"

"Not too bad. We caught one of the rustlers." That grim reply made Roxas pay more attention. Horse thievery was cause for hanging and theft of cows was nearly as bad. "Unfortunately, he's dead. I tried to shoot him in the leg but…" Terra shrugged. "I'm better at killing people than winging them." Roxas turned his head to look at the man in surprise. He'd assumed Terra had probably been born here and inherited the ranch from his parents. That comment hinted at a much darker history. "So we don't know who's doing it."

"Three guesses and the first two don't count." Axel muttered, looking away. Terra raised his eyebrows with a twisted smile.

"Well, we can't prove it." He corrected himself. "You planning to ride this one to the horse fair?" Terra asked, changing the subject. Roxas wished they had gone on further. Who was stealing from them? Another ranch, probably, and they needed proof to make any accusations. But he wasn't sure. And what did it mean for the ranch?

"I think so. He's coming along nicely. Demyx keeps bothering me to ride him." Axel sounded annoyed and Terra laughed.

"Lover boy wants to prove that he can do anything you can." Terra was amused and Axel shook his head as he began to dry Roxas off a bit. Roxas felt deflated. So Axel did like men, but he already had a close companion. That was going to make things difficult.

"I can't see why. It's not like I can play worth a crap." Axel said acidly. That tone gave Roxas hope. Apparently, there was some trouble in paradise. Terra just shrugged and Axel abruptly changed the subject. "Terra, can he be my horse?"

"Huh?" Terra was caught off guard and frowned at Roxas. Roxas blinked at him, trying to look as mild and inoffensive as possible. "You're sure you want him? I really think he is smarter than you."

"Oh thanks!" Axel grinned and petted Roxas' nose as the blonde snickered to himself. Terra was pretty perceptive. "I just want to make sure he stays here if he doesn't work out as a stallion. My old mare needs to be retired soon anyway, and your wife could use a good schooling horse for Midea." That made Terra pause. Midea was his only daughter, a little girl barely six years old. Her brother was just an infant. "I'm not sure anyone else could get on with this boy the way I can."

"You've got a point." Terra allowed as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Alright, he can be yours. What are you going to name him?" That made Axel pause and think. Roxas wondered what the redhead would name him. He hoped it would be something good. He'd never live Daisy down, although after he changed back Roxas figured he'd be Horse Boy around here or something equally stupid.

"I'll have to think about it." Axel finally said, finishing with his rub down. Roxas smiled to himself as he felt the wind fluffing his fur, finishing the drying. "It's too important to decide all at once. I'll let you know when I've figured it out." Terra nodded and started back to the house as Axel led Roxas back to his pasture. When he was released back into the grassy fields, Roxas ran away playfully, kicking his heels.

Overall, this had been a good day.

* * *

><p>"Desperado… when will you come to your senses…" Axel sang to himself and Roxas flicked his ears at the sound. Axel really did talk constantly. Would that get annoying when he was a human again? No, he didn't think so. It was just something the redhead did.<p>

At the moment, they were helping out with a cattle drive. This ranch bred both horses and cattle, and the cattle needed to be moved around to ensure they would fatten up properly. Roxas gazed over the prairie grass and wondered how it was possible to raise anything on this dry land. But then, they did have a lot of land.

"Look, a band of horses." Axel murmured and Roxas turned his head to look. "Don't mind the mares now."

_Oh shut up._ Roxas grumbled to himself. He wasn't entirely sure how the horse part of this place worked, but he thought maybe he had it. Mares about to foal were kept close, either in the barn or the mare paddock near the house. Once they were sure everything was alright, mother and foal were released to rejoin the horses on the range. It was more work, but the men and women on the ranch were constantly working with the range horses and foals… just little things, like picking up feet and making sure they had human contact. It saved troubles later, because when the foals were about three they were pulled in for real training. And of course, all the colts were gelded well before that or sold as studs to other ranches. Breeding on the ranch was always supervised.

Roxas thought about that with a feeling of disgust and almost amazement. He'd had his encounters with three mares, very beautiful little pony mares. His horse body had known what to do, which had been repulsive but a relief. But was it supposed to be so… quick? He'd have had complaints if he'd been one of those mares. Axel and Terra had seemed to take it for granted so it was probably normal. A dog howled and Axel lifted a crossbow, searching for a target. But if there was a wolf or another predator it had the sense to back off.

"You see why this place is called Busy Solitude." Axel commented and Roxas flicked his ears. He didn't see but was interested in hearing. "There's so much work to be done, but it's lonely work. Well, except when –"

"Axel!" Demyx rode up and Roxas laid his ears flat, eyeing the other man's knee. He was riding a taller mare and that knee was in perfect biting range. "Have you heard what's going on at Broken Hollow? Have you?"

"No, tell me." Axel said invitingly and the sandy haired young man launched into a long and complicated story. Roxas let it wash over him. Axel talked a lot when they were alone but when Demyx came, he seemed almost quiet. The spate of chatter reminded him of a yapping toy dog, being occasionally interrupted by the deeper barks of a wolf-dog. Although Axel's voice was too smooth and warm to be a bark… "You should get back. Terra's giving you the stink eye." Roxas watched sourly as their fingers twined for a moment before Demyx rode away, his sitar bouncing on his back. The blonde thought the instrument was rather ridiculous. What was wrong with a guitar?

"I love him." Axel said suddenly and Roxas almost stumbled. "I love him, but…" _But what?_ Roxas wondered. Frustratingly, Axel didn't go on. _I want you._ Maybe it was the constant contact, maybe it was just Axel's kindness, but Roxas was feeling a desire bordering on obsession. He'd never felt so intensely about another person before. _But what do I want you for?_ That thought brought him to a quandary, as it had several times before. He wanted Axel for sex, obviously. But besides that? This peaceful farm didn't need an assassin. Would Axel want to come with him? But his life was horses. He sparred with Terra sometimes but to Roxas' practiced eye the redhead was an indifferent swordsman. His aim with a crossbow was superb but Roxas didn't think he'd make it long as a mercenary. The blonde didn't have much in the way of morals but he'd read once that if you planned to steal someone's girlfriend, you'd best mean to keep her for a while at least. Stealing a girl to dump her wasn't as bad as rape, but it was close. Roxas thought that advice applied to boyfriends too. So maybe it was better not to even try…

_Stop it. You have at least a month to go before this stupid spell wears off. Anything could happen._ Roxas reminded himself firmly before turning his attention back to his work.

There was always more work to be done on the Busy Solitude ranch.

* * *

><p>Roxas watched the lights at the ranch house wistfully. There was a party going on. He could faintly hear the music and smell the barbecue, although his horse senses didn't think much of that. He desperately wished he was human again. He'd always enjoyed parties and dancing. From the music they were probably doing a square dance. It had been years since he'd done that.<p>

Roxas knew why there was a party going on. From various comments he'd figured out that due to the conditions of the rivers and mountain passes, a large horse fair was always held in the fall. Private buyers who wanted their pick of the crop tended to stop in sooner, in the spring or summer. A mounted knight, minor nobility from the Steel Vale, had come in last week with an entourage of grooms and squires. The constant warfare down there generated a constant need for new war horses, and he'd bought twenty of the best at prices that were a bit breathtaking. Roxas had always known that a well-trained war horse was very expensive but he'd never really appreciated it before. That major sale had pretty much ensured this would be a good year for the ranch.

"Hey horse." Roxas shied away, surprised, then spotted Axel at the fence. How had he missed the redhead? But then, horses couldn't see well in the dark. Roxas paced over. There was someone beside him.

"Aren't you ever going to name the beast?" Terra. Roxas dipped his head as Axel offered him a peppermint, taking it off his palm with a brush of velvet lips. Axel chuckled and gave him a scratch. Roxas could smell the alcohol on the two of them but leaned into the attention anyway.

"When he tells me his name." Axel said whimsically but it made Roxas wonder. Axel could sense he was different. Did he maybe have a touch of clairvoyance? "I think he might soon."

"You're crazy." Was Terra's opinion. The larger man leaned against the fence, making it creak. Axel glanced at him curiously.

"Terra, I've always wondered. Why did you come here?" Axel asked. There was a brief silence and the redhead blinked, wetting his lips before he spoke again. "I mean, if you don't mind telling me." Terra was silent for a moment longer then shrugged.

"I was just bumming around, looking for a place to settle. I stayed here for a summer, met Marilee and her father looked on my suit with favor and sold me the place. If you mean how I got out of the crusading business…"

"That was what I meant." Axel's tone was dry and Roxas tilted his head. Terra had been a crusader? That term could encompass everything from holy warriors to selective, expensive mercenaries. They were always very good and that explained a lot about Terra. Terra smiled at Axel's tone before shrugging again.

"I was already getting a bit tired of it. There was a… falling out with my friends." Terra's tone made it clear he wasn't going to elaborate on that. Roxas imagined there was a painful story there. "We were still together but our last mission went badly wrong. Many innocents were killed." Terra's gaze was far away as he remembered. "Aqua was probably right. If we'd let the cultists continue it would have been worse but… too many died. So I left. Ventus and Aqua are probably still looking for me."

"They don't know where you went?" Axel asked, surprised. Terra glanced at him and shook his head.

"Of course not. I didn't know I'd end up here." He pointed out and Axel flushed. Terra had already told him that. "They wouldn't look for me here. They probably think I've been corrupted into evil, since my talents are earth based and the earth is inherently corrupt." Roxas pricked his ears at that. That was the first he'd heard of that, and he'd known plenty of wizards. He'd slept with several. Axel looked confused as well.

"The earth is corrupt? What do you mean?" He asked cautiously. Terra sighed and scratched his head for a moment, reaching out to give Roxas a scratch. He leaned into it hopefully. He wanted to hear more of this story too.

"It's a long story, but the short of it is that… well, you know all the gods started out as powerful wizards?" Terra said. Roxas winced to himself and considered carefully stepping away. That was absolutely true but it was never wise to say it out loud. Some gods had a quick hand with the thunderbolts. Axel nodded cautiously, glancing up at the sky. "They just have access to power sources that are beyond normal wizards, like prayer and portfolios. They gained that knowledge through study and gathering more traditional power sources."

"I get it. Keep going?" Axel sounded uncomfortable and Terra grinned at him.

"There's a reason I worship Epona. She was one of the oldest gods and her wandering priests teach her true origins. Calm down, carrot top. Anyway. Before the gods ascended, the old ones had similar powers. But they were never human. No one knows exactly what they were, but their influence on humans was always destructive. They drew power from negative emotions and pain. The blood sacrifices the gods demand now are nothing compared to what was demanded then." Roxas was fascinated. He'd never heard anything like this before. There were all kinds of explanations of how the world was created, usually giving credit to whatever god the teller believed in. Roxas had never believed any of those and wasn't sure he believed this, but it was more interesting. "The old ones underestimated us and when the gods ascended, they cast down the old ones. But they couldn't kill them. Apparently, they were also taking power from the planet itself and destroying them would mean the end of everything. So they imprisoned the old ones deep in the earth. Mining can be perilous because of that. The deeper you go, the more likely it is you'll find something unfortunate. And drawing power from the earth always draws a whiff of their corruption."

"I see." Axel rubbed his eyebrow as Roxas thought about the earth witches and wizards he'd known. They'd all been able healers and while most were fine the bad ones were very bad indeed. Blood magic came easily to them. He'd been told it was because earth was associated with death but perhaps not. "Why haven't they found you yet, if they're still looking? It's been what, eight years?" That was a long time for a mercenary, even crusaders. Terra shrugged.

"They're probably looking in the wrong place. There's no minerals here, not much plant life. My powers are relatively weak here, with only dirt and grass to power them. Ventus would be powerful here with his air powers. Aqua would be even weaker than I am." Terra rested his chin in his hand for a moment. Roxas thought he might be done until he spoke again. "The other reason I settled here is... there's a time in a man's life when he looks back and thinks about what he's going to leave behind. What he helped build. As a crusader I spent most of my time destroying things. When I looked back on it all and realized there was nothing I had built, well, I wanted a change. I wanted something that would last. So I settled here."

"It's a good place for it." Axel agreed. "And you took a struggling ranch and turned it into a great one." Terra laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Thanks for the compliment. Let's go in and get some beer." Roxas watched them go, feeling oddly stricken. Stung by a strange thought, he considered his life as an assassin. What had he left behind him? What had he... built? The answer seemed to be nothing.

Nothing.


	4. Times are Hard

"You seem a bit depressed today." Axel observed as he led Roxas on a slow walk. "Something the matter?"

_I am depressed. _Roxas sighed heavily, lowering his head. He wasn't surprised the redhead had noticed. Axel was getting better and better at reading him with his talent. Would he eventually realize the palomino wasn't a horse at all? And if he did, so what? There were no wizards anywhere near who could break the spell. That wasn't the cause of his depression though. Life as a horse meant Roxas had far too much time on his hands, even with Axel working him regularly. So he'd had plenty of time to think about Terra's words.

Roxas had been born in the slums of Invari, a beautiful city far to the East. Beautiful for those who had at least a smidge of money and influence, anyway. The slums were pestilent and Roxas couldn't remember his father. He could just barely remember his mother, if he tried hard. She'd drunk herself to death when he was only a small child. After that he'd begged on the streets for a while before getting swept up in a guard purge and sent to a manufactory. Little hands were useful making ribbons, never mind how many got mangled in the machinery… It hadn't taken the blonde long to decide it was all a joke. It had taken a bit of seduction and treachery, but he'd knifed the overseer and run away. After that he'd tried his hand at thievery for a while, and had been rather good at it for a self-taught boy. Rather good wasn't good enough when he picked the wrong pocket. The knife had come out then but fortunately, the woman he'd tried to rob was an assassin on the lookout for an apprentice. She'd approved of his pretty face and his viciousness, and had taken him under her wing.

With that history, Roxas had always felt that honest work was for fools. His mother had worked making cheap plates, and what had that gotten her? Nothing but a failing liver. The children laboured on the ribbons for pennies and ended up with crippled hands, wasted and used up. Putting cash into the pockets of the slumlords. He'd decided as a child that there was no point in going straight and nothing he'd seen in his life as an assassin had shaken that conviction. Naturally enough, he tended to see the worst side of people.

Living in a peaceful, productive place was a new and almost distressing experience. This business was built with hard labour, to be sure, but it wasn't very dangerous. Terra worked harder than anyone else on his ranch and his employees were all paid a percentage of the years' profits. Roxas had heard Axel discussing it with Demyx, so he knew the big payout would be after the fall horse fair. Most of them still had their money from last year and planned to spend it there.

Terra took care of his people. He provided them with food, lodgings, clothes and equipment from the profits of the ranch. He kept on anyone who was willing to work, even if they couldn't do much any longer. Roxas had seen his father-in-law. The old man had a pronounced limp from an old broken leg and couldn't really ride much anymore, but Terra treated him with respect. He wasn't the only person on the farm in semi-retirement. They were like a big family, and something inside Roxas ached to be part of that. Another part of him screamed that he was a fool. But Terra's words knawed at him like rats. He'd never concerned himself with whether or not his victims deserved to die. Someone had been willing to pay for it, was all he knew or cared. What could he say he had built, when his time was done? Much less than Terra could…

_Ow!_ Roxas blinked as Axel gave him a light pop with his reins. He gave the redhead a reproachful look. What had that been for? Axel grinned at him.

"Are you listening to a word I'm saying?" He asked teasingly and Roxas laid his ears back. "I said, since you're so laid back today, maybe it's time for Demyx to ride you!"

_What? No!_ Roxas snorted and blew at the redhead, making him laugh and pet his nose.

"Or maybe we can go work on the cattle." Axel mused and Roxas looked towards the pastures with a sinking feeling. It hadn't rained for a while so the poo would be solid, but the horrible dust would combine with his sweat and form sticky, itching trails on his skin. "I bet that would wake you up in no time. What do you think?"

_Oh stop it!_ Roxas snorted and stamped. _I know how to cut the cattle, I don't need to keep practicing._ That probably wasn't true but he was getting good at it. Axel chuckled and petted him again.

"Or we could just go on a ride down to one of the canals and you can take a swim. How about that?" Axel said invitingly and Roxas gave him a horse smile, pulling his upper lip off his teeth. "You're such a smart horse. The canal it is." Roxas smiled to himself as Axel started getting him tacked up. His depression had suddenly given way, smothered but Axel's sunny personality.

It wouldn't last, but for now he'd forget about the past and future. It was time for the present.

* * *

><p>"Demyx, this is a bad idea." Gemma said warningly as Roxas eyed Demyx thoughtfully. The girl was holding his lead. She'd been the one to fetch him out of the stallion pasture and he'd assumed she wanted him for Axel, or maybe to ride herself. He'd been with the ranch for maybe a month and a half now… Roxas had trouble keeping track of time… and Axel had allowed Gemma on his back a few times. She was an excellent horsewoman and Roxas was pleased enough to have her there. "You're not as good with the horses as Axel." That was absolutely true and also completely the wrong thing to say. Roxas could see it from the scowl on Demyx's face.<p>

"Shut up." Demyx ordered her. Roxas blinked a bit at the tone and saw Gemma bite her lower lip. He wondered what her position was here. Whatever it was, she didn't seem willing to stand up to Demyx and he seemed to feel he was in charge. "Just hold him." Gemma sighed and held him as Demyx tacked him up. "If Axel can do this, I can." He muttered to himself and Roxas immediately began plotting mayhem. He'd wait until the blonde was in the saddle though. There was plenty he could do when Demyx was in the saddle…

_Better not kill him though._ Roxas made a mental note not to step on him or anything likely to be fatal. A horse could be forgiven for a fatal accident, but when the spell wore off everyone might be a lot less forgiving. Roxas noticed Gemma watching him nervously and tried to look innocent. Maybe he should "smile"? No, she'd know he was plotting something then. At first Roxas' walked demurely, heeding all of Demyx's cues. He wanted to lull the blonde a bit. Sooner or later he'd ask for something a bit more adventurous. Gemma seemed to be relaxing. But then, just as Roxas had thought, Demyx decided to ask for more.

"I'm going to jump him!" Roxas followed Demyx's pointing finger to see a small bush. It would be easy for him to jump over. That made Gemma tense again.

"Axel hasn't done much jumping on him." She warned the blonde but he wasn't in the mood to listen. Roxas winced at the energetic tug on his reins. Demyx had a much heavier hand with them than Axel, and he didn't appreciate it in the least. But he started moving obediently.

Roxas timed it perfectly. He waited until the very last second, pretended he was going to jump and then stopped dead. Not only that, he rolled his shoulders forward. It was a classic 'dirty stop' and had the expected effect… Demyx flew off his back, headfirst into the bush.

_And it looks like it had thorns!_ Roxas could hear Demyx starting to wail as he cantered off, kicking up his heels mockingly. There was a commotion starting as Gemma called for help. Had Demyx broken an arm? Or more likely, his collarbone? _It would serve him right._ Terra came out in the field to catch him, and with the aid of a few peppermints, Roxas submitted to being caught.

"Little idiot." Terra muttered as he began unsaddling the palomino stallion. "If Axel shouldn't be riding a horse smarter than him, that goes twice for Dem." _Because he's twice as dense?_ Roxas snickered to himself and gave Terra a horse smile. Terra snorted and gently smacked him. "Nasty horse." Then Axel came up, looking infuriated and unhappy. Roxas lowered his head and chewed on a bit of hay, but paid careful attention as they spoke. "How is our minstrel? Didn't break anything, did he?"

"No. It looks like he's dislocated his shoulder though. You should hear the whining." Axel shook his head in disgust and Terra chuckled softly. "He's already worrying about not being about to play at the fall fair. I tried to tell him that you could put an earth magic patch on, but he's not listening." Terra sighed.

"I'm going to kill Gemma for letting him do this." He grumbled. "She should have had more sense." Axel shook his head though.

"She said she didn't feel right about stopping him, since she's only been here for half a year." That made Roxas wonder what had happened. Gemma would have come to this place in the winter, never the favourite time for travelling. "I told her not to hesitate next time." Terra nodded as he finished getting the tack put away. Axel led Roxas back to his pasture and he eagerly went into it, feeling better than he had in weeks. If Demyx whined enough, perhaps Axel would start to rethink his relationship.

Life was looking up.

* * *

><p>Roxas stood by the fence, looking at the house. It was night and he was one of only two horses awake. Instincts insisted that a guard be kept and for now, that was Roxas and the black stallion. The stallion was standing quietly, looking around as the others slept. He clearly hadn't noticed anything wrong. But he was a horse, and not as clever as Roxas. Even with equine eyesight, which was very poor in the dark, Roxas could see someone moving around near the barn. But they were being very quiet. Roxas considered what to do.<p>

He had to do something. There was more than one of them and they absolutely did not belong at the ranch. Someone from inside the house would have brought out a lamp and wouldn't have skulked. The way these men were moving had 'skulking' written all over it. To an assassin it was almost laughable, but with a sleeping household it would be effective.

Roxas finally went to the gate and examined it. He'd already figured out a way to unlock it but hadn't used it yet. He'd been keeping it in reserve, in case they decided to geld him. And while he could open it with his lips and some clever nudges, he couldn't reclose it. All the horses would get out. Right now, that seemed like a minor consideration. He carefully worked on the gate until it creaked open, then began quietly trotting towards the barn. He wanted to see what they were up to before he took action. The men were engrossed in their work and Roxas knew how to move quietly, even as a horse. Then he saw a flicker of light and froze for a moment.

_Fire!_ Fire was the worst nightmare of any stable. Hay was highly flammable, the wood was flammable, everything was flammable. Terra would toss out anyone who dared bring a lit pipe in the barn. On the few occasions Axel smoked, he carefully put it out before he took so much as a step inside. And these men were _setting fire_ to the barn with the mares and foals inside…

Roxas screamed as loud as he could, a sawing sound of rage before he charged. It was dangerous but the men weren't expecting it and he caught one on the scalp with a front hoof. There was a scream and the others scattered to avoid being trampled as Roxas beat out the flames with his hooves. Lights were coming on in the ranch house but it was taking too long –

_Ah!_ Roxas gasped at the lance of pain in his left hind leg and jerked away, stumbling. One of them had stabbed him, fortunately missing the tendons since he could still stand on the leg. He kicked without thinking and while the pain was agonizing, the solid thunk as both his hind hooves hit something was satisfying. There was a dog baying and Roxas groaned to himself as he saw the puppy rush out of the house. Fortunately though it went for one of them men first, snapping but not connecting as the pup tried to drive them away.

_Gemma, no!_ Roxas tried to call to her but all that came out was a hopeless whinny. The girl was the first one out of the house, holding a lit oil lamp. She couldn't have made a more perfect target if she'd tried. There was the low whum of a crossbow bolt and Roxas watched in horror as she dropped like a stone. Then the strangers were running, and Roxas saw that they'd tied up their horses near the river. Where were they going? There were fords in the river now that the spring runoff had abated, and that would make them very hard to track.

_I can't think about it anymore. _Roxas stood trembling, his head down and eyes closed. His leg hurt like fire and he tried to keep his weight off it. Horses weren't meant to be three legged, though, and that was hurting too. He considering lying down then rejected the idea. That would hurt too.

"Roxas!" Axel. Roxas raised his head and tried to whimper. "Did they hurt you?" Roxas turned so Axel could see he was favouring one leg. "Damn. Demyx! I need some light over here." The blond hurried over. One arm was in a sling but he was holding a lantern with the other. Roxas noticed he looked pale and shaken. "Someone cut him with a knife. They missed the tendons…" Axel muttered as he rested his hands on Roxas' butt, eyes half-closed with concentration. He was using his talent to explore the injuries. "It's not too deep, not close to the bone. A flesh wound really but it must hurt like hell."

_Yes, it really does. _That was a relief to hear. With Terra's skill with earth powers, Roxas was confident he'd be fine. Axel seemed to feel the same way as he began cleaning the cut out with a powder that stung almost as much as getting the wound. Roxas gritted his teeth and endured. He knew that powder from more injuries than he cared to count, and it was a good proof against infection. Axel gently patted him after he was done, then began to bandage the wound.

"Is he alright?" Terra. The brunette looked almost satanic, carrying an oil lamp so it illuminated his face from below. Axel looked up from his work and nodded.

"He's going to be fine. Is Gemma…" Axel broke off at Terra's grim expression and headshake. "Those bastards. What were they trying to do?"

"Set the barn on fire." Terra replied shortly as Demyx gaped and Axel swallowed hard. "It would have gone up like a candle. They piled hay treated with rock oil around it. It's a miracle Roxas managed to stop the first sparks, but they hadn't gotten it into the tinder before he charged them, from what we can see."

"That's crazy." Axel whispered. "Who would do that? Why would they do that?"

"Because times are hard and getting harder. It's the water, you know that." Roxas felt a bit confused at that. Water? What was the problem with water? The river had gone down quite a bit but there was still ample. "I have plenty with the river, but they want me to put in pipes to reach the rest of the range."

"But that would drain the river dry." Axel protested. "The Broken Oak ranch would have a fit! And they're your kin, too. Why would someone single us out this way? Why not River Bend?"

"How do we know they haven't?" Terra asked and Roxas tilted his head as the man smiled grimly. "We didn't mention the cattle rustling to anyone. If they've lost cattle or had other problems, they wouldn't tell us. Not 'till they had proof. As for why someone would set fire to the barn… they're escalating from the thefts. I'm not very well liked and we're prosperous."

"That's a big escalation from theft." Demyx ventured, sounding almost ready to cry. "Gemma's _dead._" Terra's lips tightened as he looked towards the ranch.

"That wasn't meant to happen. Likely we wouldn't have been able to figure out the fire was set, if their plan had gone off properly. Just a bad mischance, some wet hay catching fire, that's what we'd have figured." Roxas tried to puzzle that out but couldn't. Wet hay caught fire? Wouldn't it go out? "But we can't take this lying down. I'm going to do some work, figure out who's got suspicious injuries. Then it will be time for payback." There was a dark eagerness to Terra's voice and Roxas was reminded of what he'd said about the earth. The inherently corrupt nature of that element. He had no doubt that Terra was capable of cruelties every bit as great as the late Baron, when he was aroused.

_And so what?_ Roxas looked towards the house again. He couldn't see the bloodstains in the dark, but he knew they would be there. _They deserve it._ Whoever had done this would regret crossing a retired crusader. He wouldn't have wanted an enemy like that, as an assassin. Perhaps these ranchers didn't understand what Terra truly was?

If so, they'd find out the hard way.


	5. Retaliation

Author's note: The name thing was just a mistake on my part. It's hard to remember that Axel doesn't know Roxas' name. But since I did it…

The next morning, Roxas received his due share of admiration and gratitude.

Right after the attack, everyone was too busy and shaken to make much of him. But the next day, it occurred to everyone how remarkable and intelligent he was. They found the gate unlatched and knew it had been locked up the night before, so Roxas had somehow unlocked it. Then he'd attacked a group of men and stomped out flames. It all showed amazing intelligence and Roxas found himself being petted, groomed and treated all through the day. Axel put a firm limit on the number of cookies he could have, to Roxas' annoyance. But eventually, he remembered that horses couldn't throw up. A bellyache wasn't a nuisance for a horse, it was life threatening. What would happen if he colicked? Roxas suspected the spell might break. But if it didn't, he'd be dead. It didn't seem worth the risk. Even Demyx brought him something, to Roxas' surprise. He eyed the blonde evilly as he was offered a slice of apple.

"I'm sorry I snapped at Gemma." Demyx whispered and Roxas winced to himself. Dem's eyes were suspiciously moist. "And I'm sorry I tried to ride you. I was just worried…"

_Worried about what?_ Roxas didn't really expect an answer. So it surprised him when Demyx continued.

"That Axel won't come with me when I go." That was almost whispered but Roxas pricked his ears forward in interest. Demyx was going somewhere? Where? And did Axel know about it? To his frustration, the blonde walked away.

Roxas sighed to himself and just enjoyed the pampering until Axel came to get him. Something strange occurred to him as the redhead saddled him. Axel had called him by his _name._ So had Terra but he thought the ex-crusader had said it after Axel. Just as he was considering that, Terra walked up and leaned against the fence.

"I see you named him." Terra commented and Axel paused, an air of puzzlement around him.

"I guess I did." Axel said slowly, petting Roxas on the nose. "Roxas. It's a strange name." Roxas snorted to himself. But to the people living here, it probably was an odd name. He was from very far away.

"It's from the East. I haven't heard it in a long time… it's not that popular a name." Terra mentioned with deceptive casualness. Roxas didn't like the thoughtful look on his face. Although if Terra suspected he wasn't what he seemed, what did it matter? He didn't have the magical ability to break the spell. Terra's powers were largely a talent. Very powerful but a bit limited. "I've thought about what we should do." Terra said abruptly and Axel paused in saddling him. "We're having a meeting tonight at the long hall, tenth hour. Make sure you're there."

"Of course." Axel agreed. Roxas had to be content with that as the redhead took him out. Today he was learning how to pony a young horse. Roxas had to tolerate youthful shenanigans and let Axel discipline the youngster, rather than taking care of it himself. That part was annoying and Roxas had to resist the urge to give the mare a bite or kick. Axel seemed very pleased with their progress when he called a halt to it. "I told Terra you could do this." Axel said to him as he took the filly back to the mare's paddock. There was a paddock for the mares close by the ranch, but on the opposite side from the stallion paddock. That was to keep the boys from spending all their energy flirting and trying to jump the fence. "He thought I was crazy. Usually we use a gelding for this, but you behave more like a gelding than any stallion I know." That made Roxas a little uneasy. Lately, Axel had been going out on the range to check all the pregnant mares with his talent. He'd already found one that had conceived twins and Terra had used his earth magic to make her abort. What if the three mares they'd put him to weren't pregnant? That would be a relief in a way but they might consider gelding him again. "I wonder if that might mean you're infertile?" Roxas started at the strange echoing of his thoughts and Axel continued, oblivious. "Well, not to worry. You're well behaved, so might as well keep the twins."

_Oh thank the gods._ Roxas felt faint with relief and playfully nudged Axel. The redhead responded with a light slap on his neck before remounting. _Where are we going now?_ It was still fairly early. His leg hardly hurt at all, thanks to Terra's magic, and he wanted a bit more exercise.

"I think I'll take you on a short ride down along the river. I need to work with some of the young colts, but I don't want you to get out of shape." Roxas obediently set off towards the river as Axel talked to himself. "That grey is going to be a problem…" Roxas listened with interest as Axel talked about his training. He wasn't really surprised. After living in the paddock with them, he knew the personalities of all the colts and the grey was both stupid and stubborn. He savoured the time with the redhead, listening to his soothing voice. It ended all too soon and Roxas snorted as he was released back into the stallion paddock. He followed Axel along the fenceline until the redhead took the grey into the arena. Then he stared at the arena, thinking.

_If Demyx is going somewhere, and you don't, then… I could have a chance. _But if Axel didn't leave with Demyx he certainly wouldn't go with Roxas. He'd have to stay here and he was no horseman. Of course, it wouldn't be too hard for him to learn now. Roxas laughed to himself as he thought about it. His forced education in horse body language would be helpful. Of course, there was the problem of his prior profession. Most people didn't want assassins around and for good reason. _Well, that's easy enough. Describe myself as a mercenary. _The expensive kind of mercenary who took only unusual commissons. It was even sort of true, since he took those jobs on occasion. The only worry was that Terra might see through him, but the ex-crusader probably wouldn't mind an ex-assassin. It would be very hypocritical if he did.

Roxas wished he could find out what was going on at the meeting. All he knew was that when Axel came out, he took a different horse, a chunky bay mare and rode away with Terra. Roxas was tired but stayed awake waiting for them to get back. They finally did when it was twilight and Roxas snorted, trying to attract Axel's attention. Surprisingly, it worked. After the mare was back in her paddock the redhead came to his and leaned against the fence.

"Roxas." He whispered and Roxas nudged him. It was hard to tell in the dark but he thought the redhead was pale and looked almost shocked. "I didn't know he could do that."

_Do what?_ Roxas asked him impatiently. Axel was in no hurry to speak though and he submitted to having his ears scratched. It was like Axel needed reassurance and grounding.

"He made a homunculus." That would have made Roxas frown, if he could have. He'd heard mages use that word when they were referring to earth and stone golems, and also small earth messengers. What use would that be? "A tiny one. He used Gemma's blood and – and a finger to bind it to the person who killed her. Then he made it into a plague carrier." Roxas reared his head back in surprise and Axel almost chuckled. "I could swear you understand me… the disease won't spread but the man who killed Gemma will die horribly. We'll hear about it and then we'll know for certain who was behind this." Axel sighed and Roxas heard the weariness in the sound. "It has to be the Broken Bone ranch, but Terra wants some proof before we take revenge."

_That's not taking revenge?_ Roxas felt a bit shaken. He'd never known a golem could be used to spread disease. It was a horrible way to kill someone. On the other hand, it was just vengeance. No one could deny Terra had a right to retaliate. _No wonder his friends thought he might be corrupted. _That was the darkest application of earth magic he'd ever heard of. And the use of blood and the finger of a murdered woman hinted that it was death magic as well.

"He used my power to help fuel it. I'm tired… I should go to bed." Axel murmured and Roxas could only agree. "Hopefully you'll be well enough to come when the man dies." Roxas hoped so too. He really didn't want to let Axel out of his sight, now more than ever.

He was seriously considering making a new home here, with the man who had captured his heart.

* * *

><p>Roxas was hazy on time now, but counting the days was easy enough. Five days after the attack, Axel was changing his bandage when Terra walked up behind him.<p>

"Is he healed enough to go on a long ride?" Terra peered at the wound and grunted. "Looks almost completely healed."

"It is." Axel agreed as Roxas turned his head to look. It was shockingly swift, but they were both right. There was only a small crusted mark where the wound had been. "He's not showing any sign of pain or lameness. I think I can take him out. You've gotten some word?"

"You could say. Mort just got back with word that there was a death on the Burnt Mesa Ranch." Terra's tone and face were expressionless but Axel jerked before giving him an incredulous look. "Apparently it was gruesome. No one wants to talk about the details but they're giving warnings in case there are other incidents."

"Burnt Mesa! But that makes no sense." Axel exclaimed. Terra shook his head and Roxas could read the disagreement on his face. "We've had no problems with them and they don't want our water. Do they? And they couldn't be behind the rustling. It's too far."

"It is." Terra agreed then smiled grimly. "That was probably Broken Bone. They might be working together but probably not. I think this is a bit personal." Axel and Roxas both stared at him, silently willing him to elaborate. "At first I thought it was Broken Bone too." Terra admitted. "But then I started thinking. There's plenty of people who envy us and while Broken Bone is doing the worst, there are others who are nearly as badly off. And the crimes seemed a bit different. Rustling… that's for profit… but this was just destruction. I have a bit of a history with them. The owners' son wanted to marry my wife, back before I arrived here."

"Oh. I see." Axel said slowly. "It seems a long time to carry a grudge though." Terra grinned, a touch evilly.

"We might have had a few words at the horse fair." Terra said so blandly that Roxas was certain he'd been utterly vicious. "About market trends, boring things like that." Axel lifted his eyebrows and muttered something Roxas couldn't make out, but thought it was relating to Terra being a bastard. "He said there'd always be a market for plain riding horses and I said, yes, there would be and it'd be a cheap one. Guess who can't afford a deep bore well?"

"We couldn't afford a deep bore well without a loan." Axel said and Terra nodded.

"But I could get a loan." He pointed out. "You lot probably wouldn't be making anything but board and basic wages for a year or two, and we'd all be tightening our belts, but I could do it if I didn't have the river." Axel nodded, green eyes thoughtful. "It would take Burnt Mesa ten years to pay off that kind of loan and their people wouldn't stand for it."

"I'm actually kind of glad it isn't Broken Bone." Axel said with a sigh. "A few cattle doesn't really hurt us too much, and we'll have to live beside them after the drought is over. It can't go on for too much longer." Roxas wondered if that was true. How long had the drought been going on? It could be a permanent change in the weather. But Terra nodded.

"That's what everyone's praying for. But anyway, catch a nap after you look at the bay mare. We're going to be going on a long ride tonight." Axel nodded and finished bandaging Roxas. Roxas thought he could probably go without, but it was better safe than sorry.

Later that night, near sundown, Roxas and the other horses were saddled and ready. Saddlebags were added and Roxas shifted uneasily at the smell coming from one of them. Was that gunpowder? The other horses didn't care but they weren't smart enough to recognize it. What were they planning to do with that? They moved out quickly at first and Roxas noted that they were taking some very out of the way, scraggly looking trails. The pace slowed as soon as the sun really set. The horses couldn't see well in the dark so their riders let them pick the pace. Roxas concentrated on the trail and where to put his feet, ignoring almost everything else. Axel, Terra and the others could see to any wolves or predators.

The men rode silently and it seemed like forever before a harsh whisper was passed back and forth and they were pulled to a stop. To his frustration, Roxas and the other horses were tied up in a small copse of trees as the men slid silently through the grass. Roxas felt Axel's hand against his shoulder, reassuring warmth before the redhead left with the others. As the other horses dozed, cropped grass or watched for predators, he gazed after then and strained to see in the dusk. There was a full moon which helped, but he really couldn't see anything. Roxas shifted uneasily as he waited, trying to figure out how much time was passing. It seemed to be quite a lot. Hopefully they were going to be-

There was a loud yet strangely muffled explosion. Some of the horses didn't care at all, a few were interested and only one was startled. Roxas strained even more and made out the light of something beginning to burn. Not very much though, and the flames were quickly snuffed out. What had they blown up? A barn? Roxas was sure Terra would get the horses out first but destroying a stable or barn would be a pointed message. If there was any sound of battle he couldn't hear it. When the men came back they weren't trying to be quiet, though, and headed out far more swiftly than they'd come in. Roxas had to work hard to keep his footing steady on the trail and one of the other horses stumbled, making his rider swear. They rode in silence until they were back in their own lands. By that time Roxas was dying of impatience. What had they done?

"Well, that was hair-raising." Axel said, his tone as bland as if he was talking about the weather. "Let's do it again sometime." There were laughs all around and Roxas flicked his ears, willing them to keep talking.

"I still say we should have killed that dumb bastard." One of the men, an older fellow with slate grey hair, groused. Terra shook his head. "I know, I know, he was just a boy. But this bloody well hurts."

"I think we should have taken a few of those mares." One of the younger men chimed in. Roxas remembered his name was Stephen and he was younger than Axel, just barely past being a teenager. Terra shook his head more emphatically.

"Why? They're not up to our standards and we'd still have to feed 'em. And if you're fancying a steak, that's just daft." He said firmly.

"Why? I was thinking about steaks, actually. That river fish is fine but it gets old." Roxas considered biting him but the young man was too far away. Steaks? He'd never eaten horse in his life and the thought made him a little sick. Although he wasn't too surprised to hear that the ranchers would eat the horses they had to cull. If nothing else, the carcasses couldn't be left on the range. They could attract predators. Still…

"Oh please. You know how Merilee goes on when we have to slaughter any horse, even if they're sick and old. Imagine how she'd put on if we tried to slaughter a healthy one!" There were mutters of agreement and the young man grimaced before nodding, conceding Terra's point. "And those mares weren't even well tended. Half of them were sick, from I could tell."

"They were." Axel said seriously. "I'm not sure what disease it was. We should probably put these into quarantine when we get back and make sure all our clothes and the tack is well washed." There were groans and Roxas sighed to himself. That would be a nuisance. And it looked like he wasn't going to find out exactly what they'd done. For a moment he cursed the Baron and wished him a particularly nasty afterlife. Being a horse was really a trial.

_When will this be over? How long has it been? _Roxas guessed it had been at least two months. Fall would be coming soon and the horse fair would start. Would he be going to that? There was a minor chance he might encounter a mage powerful enough to break the spell there. _Not likely though. _Roxas sighed to himself and hoped the spell broke sometime soon. Although he'd survive walking to the ranch from the stallion paddock, even naked in the middle of winter.

The sun was just starting to rise when they got back to the ranch. Everyone was just getting up and Roxas resigned himself to no Axel as one of the teenagers began unsaddling him. The redhead gave him a quick pet and a mint along with a murmured 'good boy' before going to take a nap. Soon Roxas was in a separate quarantine paddock and closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep. It had been a long day and he was dead tired.

Hopefully, the other ranch would get the message.


	6. The Horse Fair

Roxas stood and watched the cold, heavy rain sleet down. He was cozy and safe inside the walk in shelter, along with the older herd stallion. The elderly horse was sleeping, head dropped down and eyed closed. Roxas turned to look at him for a moment. He was a beautiful horse and had probably been as good as the young black stallion in his prime. Now he was developing a sway back and was beginning to lose his teeth. Roxas had overheard Axel and Terra discussing him, and knew they planned to soften his food for him when his teeth were gone. He'd been fertile longer than most studs, but that was finally past. It was time for the young stallion to take over, but Terra was still fond of him.

Roxas sighed and looked back out into the rain, wondering when the horse festival would begin. It would be starting late this year. The drought had been interrupted by rain at precisely the wrong time. Most of the ranches that still had water tried to raise a bit of hay and other crops on their best land. It was harvest time and the rain was ruining any chance of taking in that hay. Roxas wasn't entirely clear why rain was such a problem, but he vaguely remembered Terra mentioning wet hay as a cause of fire.

_Ah, give up. You're not a farmer._ Roxas laughed at himself, thinking ruefully about farming. It all seemed simple from the perspective of a city boy but there was clearly a lot more to it. Market trends… Terra was always trying to predict what his customers would want and fill the need. Did most farmers try to do that? Roxas suspected they did, or at least the successful ones did.

"Roxas!" Roxas perked up at the sound of his name and briskly stepped out of the shelter, ignoring the rain. It was actually rather pleasant on his fur. Axel was standing by the fence, wearing a rather odd looking leather hat that shed the rain quite effectively. "Ready for a long ride?" Axel asked as Roxas whuffed his hair fondly. "Good, because we need to go check the range. Dax thinks he saw a wild stallion out there."

_A wild stallion? _Roxas was surprised but, after a bit of reflection, he could guess what had happened. Not all of the Free Lands were claimed. There were expanses of prairie that no one wanted, too far from any reliable water or with soil that was just too poor. Wild horses lived on them and a young bachelor could easily jump a fence and get into places he wasn't meant to go. Axel didn't seem very upset though.

"Terra and everyone else is looking for the stallion. It's my job to check all the unbred mares and make sure they're still unbred." Axel sounded amused by his task as he tacked the palomino up. "If they have been bred, I'll make them abort. It'll be plenty early so no harm done."

_Ah._Roxas wasn't looking forward to a long ride in the rain, but spending time with Axel made it better. _What's been happening with Burnt Mesa and Broken Bone Ranch?_ It had been weeks and he hadn't heard much about Burnt Mesa. The cattle rustling was still going on, but it had tapered off as the harvest got closer.

"Terra thinks we scared off the owner of Burnt Mesa." Axel said conversationally and Roxas flicked his ears, wondering if the redhead really could read his mind. "There was a council meeting about the water issue and Terra smiled at him a lot. He has the creepiest smile when he wants to… sort of knowing and evil at the same time, like he knows all your sins. And that asshole has a lot of sins."

_I hope so._ Roxas wondered if they were being a bit optimistic. The owner of Burnt Mesa might be distracted by the harvest and getting his horses and cows ready to take to the festival, but that might not last. Especially not in the middle of winter when there wasn't much to do… or would the snow keep them away? Weather in the Free Lands could be miserable from what he'd heard. _Well, I'll be human again then. I can always kill him. _Roxas wasn't sure if Terra would want that or not. He thought the ex-crusader might prefer to take care of his dirty work himself.

The day on the range passed pleasantly, although it involved a lot of stopping so Axel could check the mares. They came to him eagerly for treats and petting, and plenty of them tried to flirt with Roxas. His horse mind was interested but Roxas stepped on it firmly. This would be hard enough to explain already without adding some gratuitous matings on top of the ones they'd forced him to do.

Roxas blew wearily as they finally came back to the ranch. He was in very good shape, but he still felt the length of the ride in his legs. The range was huge and couldn't really be covered in a single day. Fortunately, Axel knew where to find the mare bands. Roxas sighed as the redhead began giving him a rub down.

"If the rain doesn't clear within the week, we'll have to forget the hay for now and leave it to the ladies." Axel murmured, a small frown on his face. "They won't be able to harvest most of it but we can't afford to miss the fair. We buy a lot of supplies there anyway."

_Ah._ That made a great deal of sense to Roxas. The merchants who purchased the horses would bring loads of grain and vegetables, probably pickled or preserved. Profit on both ends of the journey, and that was what traders lived for. _I can't wait to see this horse fair. _Roxas had been to a horse festival once. It had been business though, and he hadn't gotten to see much. Usually there were trick riders, acrobats and all kinds of entertainment. Roxas wondered if Axel would be doing anything like that. Probably… he was sure Terra would want to demonstrate the warhorse training and Axel was his best rider. Axel led him back to the paddock, giving him a carrot and petting. Roxas noticed his smile was oddly melancholy. Was something bothering the redhead? But what?

Unfortunately there was no way to ask. Roxas watched the redhead walk slowly back to the ranch and wondered if the rain would stop. He really hoped so. The hay was important but the rain was so grey and depressing. It would do them all good to have a bit of sunshine.

Hopefully the rain would stop soon

* * *

><p>The next day dawned bright and sunny, although there was an impending chill in the air. It still wasn't dry enough for the hay, though, and Roxas went out with Axel on the range again. Terra and several other men came back with the wild stallion. By the time he got back, the stallion had been gelded and put into the quarantine paddock.<p>

"He won't be good for much but a riding horse." Terra said as he looked at the ex-stallion critically. The horse was completely wild and staying as far away as he could. "And training him is going to be some work. Do you think he'll be worth it?"

"Not even slightly." Axel said with a sigh, looking at the horse with an equally critical eye. Roxas breathed in his hair. The redhead was holding his reins as he looked into the quarantine paddock. "Average conformation and it'll be a lot of work to tame him."

"Do you want to do it? If not we can shoot him." Terra said seriously and Roxas gave him the evil eye. He was feeling a bit touchy on the subject of putting horses down. Probably because he was one. Axel rubbed his chin for a moment then shook his head.

"No, I'll give it a try. But not until after the fair. I don't want to miss it because this mustang broke my arm." Axel shrugged. "If he has a good mind, I can train him. We'll just have to see." Roxas looked at the horse and wondered if it would work out. He was an ugly thing, really. A big chunky head, a less than ideal shoulder and he seemed to be a bit pigeon toed. His color was an odd liverish shade that was really unflattering. Color was the least important thing for any horse, of course, but Roxas thought they were right to geld him. This wild horse just wasn't stallion material. He might make an excellent riding horse but Roxas wasn't certain he wanted Axel to try if he might get hurt.

He really had no say in the matter though. As soon as they were sure the mustang wasn't carrying any diseases, they began introducing him to the other stallions and geldings. At first they put in in a small, temporary paddock beside the bigger one so everyone could get aquainted. Roxas winced as the black stallion and the mustang squealed and struck at each other. The new horse didn't understand he'd been gelded yet. Eventually they settled down though, probably aided by the fact that there were no mares present to fight over. The new horse was herded into the stallion paddock and joined the herd. By the time he was safely settled in, several days later, it was time to begin the yearly trek to the horse fair.

Unfortunately, when they got to the horse fair, Roxas found it less stimulating than he'd hoped.

_I am so bored. _Roxas stood with his hip cocked towards the fence, looking out over the fair. He and the other horses not for sale were in a secluded paddock outside the fair, being watched over by several dogs. They would sound the alarm if anyone unknown to them tried to get into the paddock. A tent nearby was being used as a living quarters and Roxas could smell something savoury on the cook. Probably beef. From the one time Axel had ridden him through the fair, it seemed like everyone was eating beef. _Autumn is always the good time of year. _It was odd, but Roxas knew it was true. There was plenty of food for everyone , the hard work was done and the weather wasn't too cold.

Even trapped in the paddock, he could get a bit of a feel for the horse fair. There were plenty of entertainers, as he'd thought, but they were mostly amateurish. The major exceptions were a few bards travelling along with the traders. This was apparently the last stop in the harvest fairs and festivals they usually went to. After this, they'd be heading to their winters quarters. Roxas was a bit fuzzy on where exactly that would be, but suspected a few of them would be taking service with the nobles in the Steel Vales. Those posts weren't the most desirable thanks to the constant warfare, but the luxury would be worth it. Some of them might go further south, to the Hall of Tears. It was a special hall where the bards gathered and taught the next generation.

_I want to see Axel do his trick riding. _Roxas thought to himself then winced at how whiney the thought felt. He was so impatient lately. But Axel's trick riding really was fascinating to watch. He'd been working intensely with several of the mares and could practically make them dance. And of course there were the warhorses. Roxas wanted to see the mock charges and carefully choreographed mock combats. It wasn't exactly entertainment… it was meant to showcase the horses… but it was good. Especially with Axel on one of the mares, his eyes flashing and hair glowing in the sunlight…

_I've got it bad._ Roxas thought ruefully as he looked for Axel again. It was still too early though, and he tried to nap a bit. The redhead would probably show up as the sun began to set. Or maybe later if he decided to join a party.

So it proved. Roxas could faintly hear someone fiddling up a storm. He resigned himself to not seeing Axel until it was full dark out, although he was sure the redhead would come visit him. Well, unless he was too drunk. Roxas couldn't help but feel a bit bitter at that thought, but shoved it away. As far as Axel knew he was a horse, and he was certainly well cared for. The women and teenagers were constantly cleaning out the paddock and making sure the water was full and clean.

Roxas was dozing when something floppy and damp startled him awake. He almost jumped but relaxed as he realized Axel was standing beside him, holding onto him for balance. He wrinkled his nose at the reek of beer coming off the redhead. Then he blinked as Axel hugged his neck.

"He's leaving." Axel said in a low voice and Roxas realized the redhead was crying. He had his face buried in Roxas' fur and he could feel the dampness from the tears. "I knew he would. I knew it but it still hurts like hell."

_Demyx?_ Roxas nuzzled him gently, wishing for his arms! He wanted to hold Axel, comfort him, be there for him. The redhead coughed, reaching up to scratch him behind the ears.

"He's going with the bards, going to the Hall of Tears. They're going to get him an official apprenticeship. He wanted me to come but I can't." Axel said and Roxas nuzzled him again. How he wished he had hands! "Dem thinks it'd be easy but it's not. It's not… he doesn't get it. He thinks I could be managing a stable right off. Hah! I travelled a while before I settled here, that's not how it works. I'd have to start as a stable boy and I don't want to do that again. I already did it for Terra." Roxas nodded to himself. He knew Axel was right. At any noble's stable or serious horse farm, you had to work your way up. When the stable master retired or died, they promoted the chief stablehand, not some outsider. If you were very good you could advance quickly, but the pay was still nothing like what Terra offered. "And I hate cities. I've hated them since… I hate cities. He knows that but he needs to follow his dream." Axel sniffed, rubbing his nose on his sleeve before he buried his face in Roxas' fur again. "It's the r-right thing for him. I know it is but… fuck!"

_Oh Axel._ Roxas wished desperately to be human again. He didn't notice the sparkle of magic discharge around his feet, but he felt it as the spell abruptly failed. _AH!_ It was every bit as painful coming as going. The red hot pain and the way his body shifted in alien ways, but he endured it with joy. It was over in only a moment and Roxas caught Axel as the redhead suddenly found himself clinging to something much smaller than a horse. Roxas smiled into his shocked green eyes.

"…I am very drunk." Axel finally said and Roxas had to laugh. He quickly shifted around, getting an arm around Axel's shoulders and began steering him out of the paddock. "Knew I shouldn't have tried Terra's special ale."

"You probably shouldn't have." Roxas agreed as he flipped open the gate. It wasn't too easy while he was trying to keep Axel steady. "Probably mushrooms in it." Earth witches tended to be masterful at making brews with unusual properties. Terra wasn't exactly a witch, but his talent would go that way. Roxas found Axel's tent and pushed him inside, following. "There's no point in explaining this to you tonight…" Roxas muttered as he shoved the redhead down onto his bedroll, undoing his shirt and running a hand through the short red hairs. Axel stared at him, eyes wide. "So we're going to do what I've been dreaming about for _months._" For a moment he thought about getting Axel naked, then discarded the idea. He wanted this _now _and all he really needed was Axel's pants down. The thought led to the deed, and Roxas grinned as he unbuttoned the redhead and found he wasn't wearing any underwear. That made things quite a bit easier. He spat on his palm for lubrication, then ran his hands over dark, sensitive skin. Axel moaned, arching up into the touch.

Roxas enjoyed the redhead's reactions, playing with him and exploring. Axel was just as he'd imagined… thin and tall, but lean and hard under his clothes. So very desirable… but something was missing, something important. And Axel was sure to have it somewhere.

"Axel, where's the lube?" Roxas whispered in his ear, nuzzling his throat. The redhead was fumbling around, trying to return the favour but that wasn't what he needed right now. "Axel! Lube!" The note of command in his voice brought the redhead back to reality.

"Uh, yeah. In my saddlebags. Right hand pouch." Roxas rolled off the bed, ignoring Axel's disappointed groan and quickly rooted through the bags. So this was what he'd been carrying…? He quickly found a wooden jar and revelled at the feeling of having fingers to wrap around it. There was a wax seal around it to keep the contents from leaking and ruining the rest of the things in the bags. Roxas broke the seal with his thumb and grunted in annoyance as the cap stuck. He understood not wanting to ruin the gear but – _Ah._ It came off with a pop and he was about to scoop out some when a warm hand closed over his. "Hey, gimme that. I might be drunk but I still can handle it." Axel, and he'd gotten off his boots and pants. The heavy plaid shirt hanging off his shoulders was just sexy. Roxas smiled at him.

"Okay, but I'm going to ride you." That had been his private fantasy for a while. Riding Axel the way he usually rode him. Axel swallowed and Roxas could see the naked desire on his face. Roxas pushed him back onto the bed and gasped as he felt Axel's hands on him, cool and slick. Each long, smooth stroke felt so good. "Give me some of that." He said breathlessly, searching blindly for the jar. He took a bit and began returning the favour. Axel chuckled and arched, sliding their bodies together. _Oh yes._ Roxas' breath hitched as Axel reached behind him, long, agile fingers gently working their way in. Roxas lowered his head, biting his lip for a moment. It stung, a touch surprising but it had been a long time. He relaxed into it with practiced ease. It was familiar and comfortable and quickly became good as Axel's fingers ghosted over that special spot inside. Roxas wasn't sure what that spot was for – his knowledge of internal organs came from spilling them – but it felt wonderful. It always felt wonderful.

_But it feels better with Axel._ Roxas thought, exulting in the feeling. It wasn't better because Axel was better – he'd had plenty of wonderful lovers – but because he actually cared. He cared about the redhead and wanted this. _Ah! _ Roxas gasped as Axel moved with him, stroking him in time with every thrust. _Check that. Axel is just good. _The redhead knew what he was doing, hitting that special spot just enough to keep him in an agony of pleasure without letting him go over. Roxas buried his face against Axel's neck, feeling the vibration as the redhead said something. He smelled like horse and leather and smoke…

"Epona bless me…" Axel's hand was in his hair, sliding to the back of his neck and pulling him up for a kiss. Roxas moaned into his mouth as the redhead pounded into his ass, hitting his special spot just enough, just enough. "Gift of the goddess." Roxas almost laughed then gasped as Axel stroked him again. It was a logical enough conclusion given that he'd been a horse before, but so wrong it was funny.

"Axel. Axel!" Roxas panted out his name, meeting bright green eyes. It was too good, too hot, too _intense!_ "Ah!" Roxas arched and cried out in mindless pleasure, his body caught in the throes of his orgasm. Then Axel's hands were gripping his hips, driving him down harder until he suddenly went still. Roxas could feel the pulsing heat of Axel's release and revelled in the feeling. Normally that part disgusted him a bit but now it was just right.

"Roxas." Axel's voice made his name a caress and Roxas smiled as he settled in beside the redhead. He was close to passing out, but he still managed to turn his head and smile at the blonde. "Roxas." Roxas brushed back a bit of his sweaty hair and held the redhead close.

He was never going to let go of him again.


	7. Fin

Roxas woke before Axel. The light of the dawn was just beginning to penetrate the tent and Roxas stretched like a cat, revelling in the return of his real body. Finally everything felt right again and finally he could scratch himself properly.

_It was worth the wait._ Roxas snuggled beside Axel comfortably, smiling as he looked into the redhead's face. He looked so innocent, his face completely relaxed in sleep. Although the beer smell ruined that a bit. That suited him just fine though. Roxas closed his eyes and relaxed, just enjoying the lazy feeling of the morning. Soon enough he felt Axel stir and opened his eyes, watching the redhead's eyelids flutter.

"Mmm… crazy dream…" Axel muttered as he blinked, trying to move. "Huh?" Feeling the weight beside him he turned his head to look. Roxas met his stunned gaze with a warm smile, resting a hand on his chest.

"Good morning." Roxas laughed to himself as Axel stared, clearly at a loss for words. "I hope you don't have too much of a hangover." That seemed to remind him and Axel started to look a little green. But he recovered quickly.

"Uh, hello… who ARE you?" He asked plaintively. From the look on his face he could remember a bit, but it was probably too unbelievable. Roxas laughed softly, sitting up. Axel swallowed and Roxas smiled to himself at the arrested look on his face. They had sexual tension already.

"I'm Roxas." He said and watched Axel's expression melt into confusion. Did the redhead remember anything from last night?

"That's the same name as my horse – my horse?" Axel suddenly sat up then swayed, his face going green again. Roxas grabbed his arm to stop him from trying to bolt out of the tent. From the look of him he'd more likely end up face down in the dirt.

"Calm down. I'm your horse." Roxas said soothingly. From the look on Axel's face, he was having trouble believing it. Or maybe it was just the nausea. "I was a mercenary. A wizard turned me into a horse for a Baron, but the Baron was overthrown before the spell wore off. His servants fled so there was no one to let them know I wasn't a horse and people were talking about gelding me so…" Roxas shrugged and Axel blinked before nodding tentatively.

"The Steel Vale?" He asked and Roxas nodded, pleased to see Axel could think even with a wicked hangover. Of course, it didn't take much to guess that. Their close neighbours were a bit notorious. "I see. But why did you…?" Axel gestured helplessly and Roxas chuckled, understanding the question. _Why did you jump me ?_

"For one thing, I don't like mares." Roxas said dryly and Axel looked somewhere between embarrassed and horrified as he realized they'd put a person to stud. "I like men and I like you." Roxas anticipated his objection and before Axel could do more than open his mouth, he spoke again. "You might not know me but I know you. I've been listening to every thought running through your mind for months." Axel looked even more mortified at that. Roxas watched him blush, marvelling at how attractive it was.

"Oh dear gods." The redhead lay back in the bedroll for a moment, resting a hand over his eyes. Roxas looked around, wondering if there was any water. He saw a waterskin in the corner and crawled over to it. A quick sip confirmed it was water and he brought it over to Axel, who accepted it gratefully. He was just about to take a drink when the tent door suddenly opened.

"Axel, we need to-" Demyx stopped dead, staring. Roxas met his gaze calmly, naked as the day he was born, and suppressed a laugh as the blonde's eyes went large. It was probably more than a bit cruel, but he couldn't help but enjoy the moment. Axel meanwhile was looking truly horrified, the water forgotten in his hand. "Axel?" Demyx's voice went high with shock and outrage. "I'm gone one night and you replace me with some whore?" Roxas' eyes narrowed at that and he had to resist the urge to show Demyx exactly what he was.

"It's not like that!" Axel immediately protested, lurching to his feet. Roxas was alarmed by the color of his face and reached out to touch his elbow as Demyx started saying something. But then someone else pushed past Demyx, crowding the tent severely and making the blonde squawk.

"Axel! Someone stole your horse. He's…" Terra paused in midsentence as his urgent news met with the sight of two naked men and a furious Demyx. Terra and Demyx both began saying something but Roxas ignored the confusion of voices as Axel gritted his teeth and turned a peculiar shade of green.

"Out of the way!" He snarled at them both and dragged Axel past them just in time for the redhead to throw up outside the tent. There was a shocked laugh and Roxas lifted his head to glare at the teenagers. They were busy feeding the horses and had just seen more than they'd expected. As soon as Axel had stopped heaving Roxas pulled him back into the tent, noticing that Terra had stepped outside to give them privacy.

"Well, you were very drunk." Demyx said in a slightly more conciliatory tone, although he was still very upset. Axel sagged into the bedroll and grabbed the water, taking a deep drink as Roxas glowered at Demyx. This wasn't going quite the way he'd pictured, although he hadn't really been able to imagine it.

"What does it matter? You're leaving, aren't you?" Axel said wearily and Demyx flushed. Roxas smiled to himself. He could imagine what was going through Demyx's mind. Yes, he was leaving, but it was still infuriating to be replaced before he was even gone. "Terra, don't worry about Roxas. I'll explain it later, okay?" Terra rapped on the tent pole to show he'd heard. Roxas was sure he'd spread the word. The teenagers had probably been panicked to find one of the horses was missing. There might even be a hunt going on. "Dem, can we talk about this later? I need to get dressed, washed and clean up that mess." Roxas winced a little at that. He wasn't looking forward to it, but he'd cleaned up puke before. Demyx hesitated a moment.

"Fine!" He burst out before turning and stalking away. Or rather, trying to stalk away. He couldn't really manage it, with his normal upbeat way of walking. Roxas snickered at his back, then looked up at Axel as he felt the redhead's hand on his shoulder.

"He doesn't do offended dignity well. Try not to laugh." He murmured and Roxas smiled. "I really feel bad about this. We had a fight last night. It's no surprise he thought I picked up someone."

"You're too charitable." Roxas shook his head at Axel. The redhead really did like to think the best of people. And while he was probably right, Demyx was leaving. He really had no more claim on Axel aside from his offended sensibilities. Axel lifted his eyebrows then gave Roxas a small smile.

"And you're not charitable at all." He murmured. "You threw him into that bush on purpose, didn't you?" Roxas opened his mouth then closed it. Axel was completely right. Instead, he began looking through Axel's clothing for something he could wear. "Just stay here. I'll get you something that will fit you better than all that." Axel quickly threw on his clothes and exited the tent. Roxas used the time to give himself a quick rinse in the washbowl before Axel returned with a pair of pants and a shirt. Roxas eyed them warily before he pulled them on. The silver-green fabric was nice, but very light and a little frilly at the cuffs. "It's Marilee's. Sorry, she was the only one I could find around your size."

"Ah." Roxas looked over the shirt with a frown and finally decided that it wasn't too girly, just stylish. And the pants were perfectly neutral, heavy cloth meant for riding. "It should be fine, thank you." Axel smiled and started washing up. Roxas decided to be proactive and cleaned up the vomit as Axel tended to his needs. Wrinkling his nose at the smell, he discarded the rags afterwards. "I took care of the mess." He called as Axel stepped out of the tent, looking around quizzically. The redhead turned and smiled at him. Roxas felt a warm pleasure that went all the way to his toes at that look. _I'm like a smitten schoolgirl._ He thought ruefully, but didn't try to fight it. It was a good feeling and Roxas desperately wanted to see where it would lead.

"We should go talk to Terra." Axel said then smiled sheepishly as his stomach growled. "Well, after breakfast." Roxas nodded.

"I could do with some steak and eggs. Is there steak?" He asked wistfully. Axel laughed, clapping a hand over his shoulder.

"Is there steak? Of course! I'm not too sure about the eggs though." Roxas laughed with the redhead and glanced around as they walked to the food tent. He hadn't really seen this part of the fair before… his activities had been very limited by being a horse. This was the living quarters and mess hall, though, so not terribly interesting. He did notice that the tents in Terra's section were positioned in military style rows, with all the guide wires and tent pegs in predictable locations. Some of the other camps were far more disorderly. Several people looked at them curiously as they walked inside, but they had too much tact to ask as Axel and Roxas took some food and found a private table. Everything was served family style and the selection was limited but tasty. Roxas took a plate full of fried parsnip cakes and two thin slices of beef, along with a fresh apple. Axel didn't touch the cakes, but took a strange combination of grains and pickled vegetables to go with his beef. Roxas cut himself a small slice of the beef and popped it in his mouth.

"Ohh." He almost groaned and blushed as Axel chuckled. But the beef was _delicious._ After all those months of nothing but grass and oats, it was like a flavour explosion in his mouth. "It's wonderful." He muttered as he chewed. It was very tough, but that wasn't a surprise. The best cattle would be sold and the tougher, less desirable ones would go to the ranchers. It wasn't a huge detraction though. Roxas had no problem with chewing and the flavour was superb. "After nothing but grass for months, you can't imagine how good this is."

"That must have been a trial. What was it like being a horse?" Axel sounded genuinely interested and Roxas found himself telling the redhead all about what it had been like as a horse. Even the episode with the mares, which made the redhead flush and then laugh. "Poor mares! Although I don't think they expect anything more. It's always that fast for horses."

"Is it? Oh good." Roxas felt a bit relieved at that, although he supposed it was quite silly to be worrying about the sexual frustration of horses. "I knew it was with rabbits but I've never had anything to do with horse breeding. Rabbits the male gets on, then just flops right over." Axel looked entertained by that description.

"Really? That sound rather – oh hello Terra." Axel slid over a bit as Terra grabbed a chair and sat down. He was holding a plate full of parsnip cakes, without any beef. The brown haired man nodded shortly, taking a bite of his food before leaning in.

"You two want to tell me what's going on?" He asked quietly and Roxas found himself recounting his story again. Terra asked far more questions than Axel, and they were often quite pointed. Roxas had an uneasy feeling the brunette already had a fair idea of his profession. Terra's expression and tone stayed neutral and he had no idea what the ex-crusader thought. "So when are you planning to leave?" Roxas swallowed at the even voiced question.

"I wasn't planning on it." He said abruptly, unable to keep the harshness from his voice. "If you'll have me, I'd like to stay." Terra lifted his eyebrows but Roxas persisted. "I'm a hard worker. I'll do my best for you." _And I know you have an opening,_ Roxas thought to himself but didn't say. That would be less than tactful.

"You want to do that?" Terra's tone was mild and Axel bit his lip, glancing between the two of them. He clearly didn't understand was going on between them. "It doesn't pay near as well as your… mercenary work." Roxas growled to himself at the pause there. Yes, Terra had a good idea of what his real profession was.

"I know, but that's fine. I'm looking to settle down, looking to build something." Roxas said quietly and Terra's eyes flickered at the echo of his own words. "I'm not the best horseman in the world but I can learn. And I've had a crash course in horse body language. I think you'll find I have plenty of horse sense." Terra nodded slowly before glancing at Axel.

"And will the two of you be staying together? Since you don't have your own tent." He asked and Axel hesitated a moment before nodding. Roxas smiled, hiding his relief. Terra was going to let him stay! "And you'll have to purchase your own horse." He warned the blonde. "Most who come to us already have one. You do get a discount if you buy from me."

"You have a representative from the Bank of Io?" Roxas asked and Terra frowned before nodding.

"Of course. We're not barbarians, you know. The banker has a permanent office here." Terra sounded slightly miffed and Roxas could understand why. The Bank of Io was everywhere. Only gods could be trusted to handle financial affairs. The magic involved was so complex that only deities could handle it, as well.

"Just checking. I'll go make a withdrawal tomorrow then." Roxas was confident he would have more than enough to pay for a good horse. Not as good as Terra's best, of course, but he had no need of that kind of training. A good trail horse was all he would require. "Do you have any suggestions?" He asked Axel. The redhead looked startled for a moment then smiled.

"Do I! If you're a bit of a novice that blood bay mare might work for you." Axel said happily and Roxas smiled as he listened to the redhead talk about the various horses. Terra sometimes interjected a small comment but he was done eating before the two of them, and stood to leave.

"I'll see you two later at the show. Don't be late." He said warningly and Axel waved an acknowledgement. Roxas tilted his head in puzzlement.

"Show?" He asked Axel. Was this the trick riding? Axel looked surprised then grinned.

"Oh yeah, you wouldn't have seen! You'll have to come watch. It's that special riding we teach to the most advanced horses." He said happily and Roxas impulsively took his hand, giving the redhead a gentle squeeze. Axel smiled at him and squeezed back, a gentle warmth. Roxas noticed his hands were dry and heavily callused. Not surprising at all in a horseman. His own felt soft in comparison, but that would be fixed soon. Painfully perhaps but it would happen.

Roxas spent the rest of the day getting acquainted and following Axel around. He knew everyone, of course, but they didn't know him. There was a great deal of disbelief and some moans that Axel's 'horse' was gone. That made Roxas worry a bit but Axel seemed to shrug the loss off.

"There's always a few horses that don't sell in the fair." The redhead confided to him when he mentioned the problem. "Terra will let me ride one back and I'll pick out a new horse later. Maybe that mustang, if he's smart enough."

"You like difficult horses, don't you?" Roxas asked and Axel laughed before playfully ruffling his hair.

"Of course! How else did I end up with you?" Roxas mocked growled at him and shoved him playfully. "Carefully now! I don't want to end up in a bush before my ride!"

"Psh. I wouldn't do that to you, you're not an idiot." Roxas replied and Axel grinned again. "Show me this riding."

"Gladly!" Roxas followed Axel into the arena, holding his horse for him as the redhead saddled him. The horse was a grey gelding, with lovely conformation and a kind eye. Roxas wondered for a moment why they hadn't left him a stallion, but decided it was probably because they already had plenty from this bloodline. And while stallions commanded a good price, they primarily went to other breeders. Terra might have no mind to make his competitions job easier. Roxas watched from the gate as Axel rode into the arena.

Roxas was in awe of the performance that followed. He'd known Terra and Axel gave some horses very intensive schooling, but he'd never imagined anything like this. The horse practically danced, doing complicated manoeuvres that must have taken years and years to teach. It wasn't all perfect, of course… the horse stumbled in one spot before quickly recovering… but it was still amazing. From the sounds the audience was making they were impressed as well. Still…

"How many people can afford a horse like this?" Roxas asked Axel quietly after his demonstration was over and he was giving the horse a short walk to cool down.

"Almost no one." Axel admitted as he fed the horse a peppermint. "But that's not really the point. We only have a few horses like this one anyway. They're mostly for advertisement." Roxas blinked at the thought. That was very unusual for a horse breeder but it did make sense. "People see what these lovelies can do then come to pick out something a bit more in their price range."

"I wonder if I could ride him?" Roxas murmured and Axel shrugged, unconcerned.

"I don't see why not. He's dead dog gentle and does almost anything. He's not that good at cutting cows, mind you. He doesn't like getting dirty." Axel chuckled as Roxas winced, remembering.

"I can't blame him. That was disgusting. Is he good with children?" Roxas and Axel chatted about the horse until the redhead was done cooling him off and brought him back to the paddock. There was a separate paddock for the sale horses and the gelding greeted his herd mates with a whinny. They watched him trot off and Axel suddenly spoke.

"I think I like you." Roxas turned his head to look at the redhead and met bright green, cheerful eyes. "I just met you but I think I really like you… are you sure you'll be staying?" Axel's tone was wistful and a bit hurt. Roxas reached up to gently grip his shoulder.

"I'm sure. I've been watching for months, I know how things work here… and I know what I want." The sincerity in his voice could not possibly be feigned. Axel put an arm around him, cuddling him close for a moment and Roxas rested his cheek on the redhead's shoulder. "I want you and I want this. I'm going to be staying."

"Good." Axel whispered and Roxas smiled, closing his eyes for a moment. He wasn't completely sure this would work out but he knew he would do everything in his power to make sure it would. He wanted this more than anything else in his life.

It was a good beginning.

_And unless I decide to write more…_

_~FIN~_


End file.
